THE  LIBRARY 
OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 


The  Gastronomy  Collection  of 
George  Holl 


AGRIC. 

LIBRARY 


;  4-  *. 

LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 

A  COLLECTION  OF 
CULINARY  RECIPES 

From  Leading  Chefs  and  Noted  Creole  House¬ 
wives ,  Who  Have  Made  New  Orleans 
Famous  for  Its  Cuisine 


5 


SECOND  EDITION 


NEW  ORLEANS: 

F.  F.  HANSELL  &  BRO.,  Ltd. 


COPYRIGHT 

1885 


HAMMOND  PRES3 
W.  B.  CONKEY  COMPANY 
CHICAGO 


ri  oX 

INTRODUCTION 

“La  Cuisine  Creole”  (Creole  cookery)  partakes  of 
the  nature  of  its  birthplace — New  Orleans — which  is 
cosmopolitan  in  its  nature,  blending  the  characteristics 
of  the  American,  French,  Spanish,  Italian,  West  Indian 
and  Mexican.  In  this  compilation  will  be  found  many 
original  recipes  and  other  valuable  ones  heretofore  un¬ 
published,  notably  those  of  Combo  file,  Bouille-abaisse, 
Courtbouillon,  Jambolaya,  Salade  a  la  Russe,  Bisque  of 
Cray-fish  a  la  Creole,  Pusse  Cafe,  Cafe  brule,  Brulot, 
together  with  many  confections  and  delicacies  for  the 
sick,  including  a  number  of  mixed  drinks.  Much  do¬ 
mestic  contentment  depends  upon  the  successful  prepa¬ 
ration  of  the  meal;  and  as  food  rendered  indigestible 
through  ignorance  in  cooking  often  creates  discord  and 
unhappiness,  it  behooves  the  young  housekeeper  to 
learn  the  art  of  cooking. 

It  is  the  author’s  endeavor  to  present  to  her  a  number 
of  recipes  all  thoroughly  tested  by  experience,  and  em¬ 
bracing  the  entire  field  of  the  “Cuisine,”  set  forth  in 
such  clear,  concise  terms,  as  to  be  readily  understood 
and  easily  made  practicable,  thereby  unveiling  the 
mysteries  which  surround  her,  upon  the  entree  into  the 
kitchen.  Economy  and  simplicity  govern  “La  Cuisine 
Creole  ’ 9 ;  and  its  many  savory  dishes  are  rendered  palat¬ 
able  more  as  the  result  of  care  in  their  preparation  than 
any  great  skill  or  expensive  outlay  in  the  selection  of 
materials.  The  Creole  housewife  often  makes  delicious 
morceaux  from  the  things  usually  thrown  away  by  the 
extravagant  servant.  She  is  proud  of  her  art,  and  de¬ 
servedly  receives  the  compliments  of  her  friends.  This 
volume  will  be  found  quite  different  from  the  average 
cook-book  in  its  treatment  of  recipes,  and  is  the  only 
one  in  print  containing  dishes  peculiar  to  “la  Cuisine 
Creole.” 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2006  with  funding  from 
Microsoft  Corporation 


https://archive.org/details/lacuisinecreolecOOhearrich 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


SOUP 

Soup  being  the  first  course  served  at  all  ordinary  din¬ 
ners,  we  make  it  the  basis  for  preliminary  remarks. 
Nothing  more  palatable  than  good,  well-made  soup,  and 
nothing  less  appetising  than  poor  soup.  Now  to  attain 
perfection  in  any  line,  care  and  attention  are  requisite, 
careful  study  a  necessity,  and  application  the  moving 
force.  Hence,  cooking  in  all  its  branches  should  be 
studied  as  a  science,  and  not  be  looked  upon  as  a  hap¬ 
hazard  mode  of  getting  through  life.  Cooking  is  in  a 
great  measure  a  chemical  process,  and  the  ingredients 
of  certain  dishes  should  be  as  carefully  weighed  and 
tested  as  though  emanating  from  the  laboratory.  Few 
female  cooks  think  of  this,  but  men  with  their  superior 
instinctive  reasoning  power  are  more  governed  by  law 
and  abide  more  closely  to  rule;  therefore,  are  better 
cooks,  and  command  higher  prices  for  services. 

Now,  with  regard  to  soup  making,  the  first  care  is  to 
have  the  fire  brisk,  the  vessel  in  which  it  is  cooked 
thoroughly  cleaned  and  free  from  odor.  To  insure  this, 
keep  one  vessel  sacred  to  soup  as  nearly  as  possible ;  and 
after  serving  wash  the  pot  with  potash  water,  or  take  a 
piece  of  washing  soda  the  size  of  a  nutmeg,  dissolve  in 


2 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


hot  water  and  then  cleanse  the  vessel.  A  good  workman 
is  known  by  his  tools,  so  also  a  good  cook  will  look  well 
to  the  utensils  before  commencing  operations.  Good 
results  follow  carefulness. 

Soup  must  have  time  to  cook,  and  should  always  boil' 
gently,  that  the  meat  may  become  tender,  and  give,  out 
its  juices.  Allow  a  quart  of  water  and  a  teaspoonful  of 
salt  for  each  pound  of  meat.  Soup  meat  must  always  be 
put  down  in  cold  water.  Skim  well  before  it  comes  to 
the  boiling  point,  and  again  skim  off  superfluous  fat  be¬ 
fore  putting  in  the  vegetables.  The  vegetables  most 
used  in  soups  are  carrots,  leeks,  parsley,  turnip,  celery, 
tomatoes,  okras,  cabbage,  cauliflower,  peas  and  potatoes. 

One  large  leek,  two  carrots,  one  bunch  of  parsley,  two 
turnips  and  a  potato,  will  be  enough  for  one  pot  of  soup. 
One  head  of  celery,  two  leeks,  two  turnips,  and  five  or 
six  small  potatoes  will  be  enough  another  time.  Six 
tomatoes  skinned,  the  juice  strained  from  the  seeds, 
a  leek,  a  bunch  of  parsley,  and  six  potatoes  will 
answer  for  another  style ;  a  carrot,  some  cabbage,  toma¬ 
toes,  and  potatoes  will  do  another  time.  Okra  alone  is 
vegetable  enough  for  a  gombo,  unless  onion  is  liked  with 
it.  Green  peas,  lettuce,  and  new  potatoes  are  enough 
for  spring  lamb  soup.  Vermicelli  and  macaroni  are  for 
chicken,  lamb  or  veal  soup,  with  the  addition  of  onion 
if  liked. 

It  is  well  to  prepare  the  vegetables  when  the  meat  is 
put  over  the  fire  to  boil;  allow  a  quart  of  water  to  a 
pound  of  meat.  Trim  and  scrape  carrots,  then  cut  or 
grate  them.  Wash  parsley  and  cut  it  small.  Pare  tur¬ 
nips  and  cut  them  in  slices  a  quarter  of  an  inch  thick. 
Cut  leeks  in  thick  slices.  Cut  celery  in  half  lengths ;  the 
delicate  green  leaves  give  a  fine  flavor  to  the  soup. 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


3 


Pour  boiling  water  on  tomatoes,  which  will  cause  the 
skins  to  peel  off  easily;  when  cool,  squeeze  out  the 
seeds,  and  reserve  the  juice  for  use  in  soup. 

Shave  cabbage  in  thin  slices.  Slice  okra  for  gombo  or 
okra  soup.  Pare  the  potatoes,  shell  the  peas,  and  cut 
off  green  corn  from  the  cob,  for  all  these  add  fine  flavor 
to  soup. 

To  color  soup  brown,  use  browned  flour  or  a  little 
burnt  sugar.  Spinach  leaves  give  a  fine  green  color. 
Pound  the  leaves,  tie  them  in  a  cloth,  and  squeeze  out 
all  the  juice  which  add  to  the  soup  five  minutes  before 
serving.  This  is  also  used  to  give  color  to  mock-turtle 
soup. 

You  may  color  soup  red  by  putting  in  the  strained 
juice  of  tomatoes,  or  the  whole  tomato,  if  it  is  run 
through  a  sieve ;  grated  carrot  gives  a  fine  amber  color ; 
okra  gives  a  pale  green. 

For  white  soups,  which  are  made  of  veal,  lamb,  and  . 
chicken,  white  vegetables  are  best,  such  as  rice,  pearl 
barley,  vermicelli,  and  macaroni ;  the  thickening  should 
then  be  made  of  unbrowned  flour. 


STOCK  FOB  SOUP 

Stock  in  its  composition  is  not  confined  to  any  set 
rules  for  any  particular  proportions.  All  cook  books 
give  particular  as  well  as  general  directions  for 
its  manufacture;  but  all  cooks  know  that  the  most 
economical  plan  is  to  have  a  general  stock-pot,  where, 
or  into  which,  you  can  throw  any  pieces  of  beef  or  any 
piece  of  meat  from  which  gravy  can  be  extracted — 
bones,  skin,  brisket  or  tops  of  ribs,  ox-cheek,  ham,  trim- 


4 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


mings  of  turkey  and  other  fowls,  pieces  of  mutton,  ba¬ 
con,  veal,  game,  etc.,  etc.  In  fact,  anything  that  will 
become  a  jelly  will  assist  in  making  stock.  To  this 
medley  of  ingredients  add  pepper,  salt,  spices,  herbs, 
carrots  cut  small,  onions,  and  curry,  if  wished,  etc., 
and  stew  all  to  a  rich  consistency  over  a  slow  tire,  and 
then  remove  to  cool.  When  cool,  or  rather  cold,  every 
particle  of  fat  must  be  removed  and  stock  poured  clear 
of  all  sediment ;  it  is  now  ready  for  use.  When  very  rich 
soup  is  desired,  the  jelly  from  a  cow-heel,  or  lump  of 
butter  rolled  in  flour,  must  be  added  to  the  stock. 

TO  CLARIFY  STOCKS  OR  SOUPS 

The  whites  of  two  eggs  to  about  four  quarts  of  stock 
or  soup ;  two  pints  and  a  half  of  cold  water. 

Whisk  the  whites  of  two  fresh  eggs  with  half  a  pint  of 
water  for  ten  minutes ;  then  pour  in  very  gently  the  four 
quarts  of  boiling  stock  or  soup,  stirring  it  all  the  time. 
Place  the  stewpan  over  the  fire,  and  skim  the  mixture 
till  clear  before  allowing  it  to  boil.  When  on  the  point 
of  boiling,  stir  rapidly ;  then  place  it  a  little  back  from 
the  fire,  and  let  it  settle  till  the  whites  of  the  eggs  be¬ 
come  separated.  Strain  it  through  a  fine  cloth  placed 
over  a  sieve,  and  it  will  be  clear  and  good. 

STOCK  FOR  GRAVIES 

Cut  the  meat  from  a  knuckle  of  veal,  and  put  it,  with 
a  pound  of  lean  beef,  into  two  quarts  of  water ;  add  one 
table-spoonful  of  salt  and  a  teaspoonful  of  pepper; 
cover  it  close,  and  let  it  stew  until  the  meat  is  very  ten¬ 
der;  then  strain  it  and  keep  it  for  rich  soups  or  gravies, 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


5 


as  thinning  them  with  water  spoils  them.  Always  keep 
a  pot  or  stewpan  in  which  to  throw  all  nice  pieces  of 
meat  left  from  dinner,  also  any  steak,  bones,  chicken 
wings,  etc.,  etc.  This  makes  a  reserve  of  stock  with 
very  little  fresh  meat.  It  is  useful  and  economical,  and, 
being  without  vegetables,  never  sours.  In  making  oys¬ 
ter  soup  use  a  pint  or  so  of  this  stock  to  the  usual  quart 
of  oysters  and  a  pint  of  milk. 

PLAIN  BEEF  SOUP 

Five  pounds  of  the  leg  or  shin  of  beef ;  one  gallon  of 
water ;  a  teaspoonful  of  salt ;  two  heads  of  celery ;  five 
carrots ;  three  onions ;  four  turnips ;  two  tomatoes,  and 
a  bunch  of  sweet  herbs.  Boil  four  hours  and  a  half. 

Cut  the  meat  in  two  or  three  pieces,  and  put  them 
into  a  pot  with  a  gallon  of  cold  water,  which  gradually 
soaks  out  the  juices  of  the  meat  before  coming  to  the 
boil.  Salt  well,  then  skim  as  the  soup  heats.  Boil 
slowly  with  a  regular  heat  for  about  four  hours ;  then 
add  two  heads  of  celery,  five  carrots  cut  small,  two  to¬ 
matoes,  three  onions  sliced  and  fried,  and  the  sweet 
herbs  tied  up  in  muslin.  The  turnips  should  be  added 
half  an  hour  before  serving.  If  any  portion  of  the  meat 
is  required  for  the  table,  take  it  from  the  soup  about 
two  hours  before-  dinner.  Let  the  remainder  be  left  in 
the  soup,  which  must  be  strained  through  a  hair  sieve 
before  it  is  served. 


SOUP  ET  BOUILLI 

Six  or  eight  pounds  of  a  brisket  of  beef ;  three  car¬ 
rots;  four  turnips;  two  onions;  six  cloves;  two  heads 
of  celery ;  one  clove  of  garlic ;  a  bunch  of  sweet  herbs ;  a 


6 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


little  salt ;  a  piece  of  butter ;  a  little  flour ;  one  French 
roll ;  a  tablespoonful  of  French  mustard. 

Put  the  beef  into  a  pot  and  cover  it  with  water,  and 
when  it  boils  take  off  the  scum  as  it  rises ;  then  draw  it 
to  the  side  of  the  fire  to  stew  slowly  for  five  or  six 
hours,  with  the  carrots,  turnips,  celery,  garlic,  bunch  of 
sweet  herbs,  and  the  onions  stuck  with  cloves.  When 
done  lay  the  bouilli  on  a  hot  dish,  and  strew  over  it 
some  carrots,  turnips  and  the  stalks  of  celery,  previ¬ 
ously  boiled  and  cut  into  shapes.  Add  to  it  a  sauce  made 
of  a  little  of  the  soup,  thickened  with  flour  fried  in  but¬ 
ter,  and  seasoned  with  pepper  and  salt.  Strain  the 
soup  over  a  French  roll  placed  at  the  bottom  of  the 
tureen  and  serve.  The  bouilli  may  have  a  spoonful  of 
French  mustard  added  to  the  soup  sauce. 

BROTH  IN  HASTE 

Cut  some  rare  roast  meat  or  broiled  steak  very  fine. 
To  a  teacupful  of  the  cut  meat  put  a  pint  and  a  half 
of  boiling  water;  cover  it,  and  set  it  on  the  fire  for  ten 
minutes ;  season  to  taste.  Roll  a  cracker  fine,  and  put 
in  with  the  meat.  This  broth  is  both  excellent  and 
convenient  for  invalids  or  children. 

PLAIN  CHICKEN-BROTH  FOR  AN  INVALID 

Cut  a  young  fowl  into  four  parts,  wash  well  in  cold 
water,  put  the  pieces  in  a  stewpan  with  one  quart  of 
cold  water  and  a  little  salt;  let  it  boil  gently,  skim  it 
well;  add  the  white  heart  of  a  head  of  lettuce  and  a 
handful  of  chervil.  Boil  the  broth  for  an  hour,  then 
strain  it  into  a  bowl.  Two  tablespoonfuls  of  pearl  bar¬ 
ley  added  to  the  broth  when  first  put  on  makes  it  quite 
nourishing  for  an  invalid. 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


7 


CRAYFISH-BROTH  FOR  PURIFYING  THE  BLOOD 

Take  two  pounds  of  the  lean  part  of  very  white  veal, 
chop  it  very  fine ;  add  to  it  three  dozen  crayfish  and  a 
handful  of  green  chervil;  pound  them  together  to 
thoroughly  bruise  the  crayfish ;  then  put  the  whole  into 
a  stewpan,  and  pour  upon  it  three  pints  of  cold  spring 
water;  add  a  little  salt,  and  place  the  stewpan  on  the 
stove  to  boil.  After  half  an  hour,  set  it  back  on  the 
stove,  and  let  it  simmer  very  gently  for  an  hour,  then 
strain.  It  should  be  taken  fasting  to  insure  its  best 
effect. 


SOUPE  MAIGRE,  WITHOUT  MEAT,  FOR  LENT 

Melt  half  a  pound  of  butter  in  a  stewpan,  put  in  six 
onions  sliced;  add  two  heads  of  celery  cut  small,  one- 
half  a  head  of  white  cabbage,  and  a  bunch  of  chopped 
parsley ;  let  them  boil  twenty  minutes,  then  stir  in  three 
rolled  crackers ;  pour  in  two  quarts  of  boiling  milk,  or 
milk  and  water;  let  this  boil  up  gently  for  half  an  hour, 
and  just  before  serving  stir  in  two  well-beaten  eggs. 

CHICKEN  SOUP.  YELLOW  AND  VERY  RICH 

Take  two  pounds  of  veal,  half  as  much  beef  or  lamb, 
and  one  small  chicken  cut  up ;  boil  them  in  three  quarts 
of  water,  skim  off  all  the  scum  as  it  rises ;  slice  a  leek  or 
two  onions,  grate  a  large  carrot  or  two  small  ones ;  put 
all  these  to  the  soup;  add  two  tablespoonfuls  of  salt 
and  one  of  pepper.  Let  it  boil  gently  for  two  hours, 
then  add  a  spoonful  of  butter  worked  in  flour;  cover 
this  for  fifteen  minutes,  and  serve  in  a  tureen.  Take  the 
chicken  into  a  deep  dish,  put  over  it  butter,  pepper,  and 
sprigs  of  parsley;  or  you  may  chop  the  chicken  up, 


8 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


season  with  pepper,  salt,  butter,  and  an  egg ;  form  into 
balls,  roll  them  in  flour,  and  drop  them  in  a  few  minutes 
before  serving. 


VEAL  GRAVY  SOUP 

Throw  into  a  stewpan  one  pound  veal  cutlet,  three 
slices  of  ham,  two  tablespoonfuls  of  lard,  and  let  them 
fry  gently;  then,  before  browning,  add  three  sliced 
onions,  two  carrots,  two  parsnips,  a  head  of  celery,  and 
a  few  cloves.  Let  them  cook  slowly  till  lightly  browned, 
then  add  a  pint  and  a  half  of  boiling  broth  or  water ;  let 
this  cook  for  an  hour,  and  then  put  in  a  cup  of  mush¬ 
rooms  ;  skim  and  strain  for  use. 

SCOTCH  BARLEY  BROTH.  CHEAP  AND  SUBSTANTIAL 

Wash  half  a  pound  of  Scotch  barley  in  cold  water; 
put  it  in  a  pot  with  four  or  five  pounds  of  shin  beef 
sawed  into  small  pieces,  cover  it  with  cold  water  and 
set  it  on  the  fire.  When  it  boils  skim  it  well,  and  then 
add  three  onions.  Set  it  near  the  fire  to  simmer  gently 
for  two  hours.  If  much  fat  rises  skim  again;  then  add 
two  heads  of  celery  and  a  couple  of  turnips  cut  into  thin 
pieces.  Season  with  salt,  and  let  it  boil  for  an  hour  and 
a  half.  Take  out  the  meat  on  a  platter  and  cover  to 
keep  warm ;  then  pour  the  soup  in  a  tureen  and  serve. 

CONSOMME  OF  BEEF  AND  FOWL 

Take  two  pounds  of  lean  beef  and  a  fowl  half  roasted 
and  cut  in  pieces,  put  into  a  saucepan,  which  must  be 
filled  with  stock  or  plain  broth ;  skim  it  well,  salt  it  to 
taste,  and  add  two  carrots,  two  onions,  a  head  of  celery 
or  a  pinch  of  celery  seed,  also  a  little  thyme,  a  whole 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


9 


pepper,  mace,  and  a  bay  leaf.  Let  it  simmer  gently  for 
three  or  four  hours,  then  strain  through  a  coarse  cloth ; 
free  it  entirely  from  fat,  and  clarify  it  with  the  white  of 
an  egg. 


WHITE  CONSOMME  OF  FOWL 

Take  one  or  twTo  fowls,  old  or  young.  Let  them  lie 
half  an  hour  in  cold  water  to  cleanse  from  the  blood, 
then  drain  and  put  them  in  a  pot ;  fill  it  with  water,  let 
it  boil,  then  skim  it.  Add  one  large  carrot,  or  two  small 
ones,  two  turnips,  one  onion,  one  head  of  celery,  two 
cloves,  a  piece  of  mace,  a  little  salt.  Let  it  boil  gently 
for  two  hours  if  the  chickens  are  young;  if  old,  three 
hours.  When  they  are  tender,  skim  off  the  fat,  and  pass 
the  consomme  through  a  sieve.  This  consomme  may 
be  considered  a  basis  for  all  white  soups,  as  well  as 
white  sauces,  and  should  be  used  instead  of  water  for 
filling  them  up. 

PLAIN  VERMICELLI  SOUP,  NO.  1 

Put  a  soup-bone,  weighing  from  two  to  three  pounds, 
or  a  brisket  of  beef,  into  four  quarts  of  water ;  add  two 
onions,  two  carrots,  and  two  turnips ;  salt  to  taste,  and 
place  over  the  fire  to  boil  for  three  hours ;  then  remove 
and  strain ;  put  back  on  the  stove,  and  add  a  quarter  of 
a  pound  of  vermicelli,  and  let  it  boil  till  tender ;  serve 
with  tomatoes. 


VERMICELLI  SOUP,  NO.  2 

Cut  about  four  pounds  of  knuckle  of  veal,  one  pound 
and  a  half  of  the  scrag  of  mutton,  and  a  few  slices  of 
ham  into  small  pieces ;  put  them  into  a  saucepan  with 
one  onion  stuck  with  cloves,  and  four  ounces  of  butter; 


10 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


then  add  the  carrots,  mace,  hunch  of  sweet  herbs,  one 
anchovy,  and  the  celery.  Mix  all  together,  cover  it  close, 
and  set  it  over  the  fire  till  all  the  gravy  has  been  ex¬ 
tracted  from  the  meat;  pour  the  liquor  into  a  bowl,  let 
the  meat  brown  in  the  pan,  and  add  to  it  four  quarts 
of  water ;  boil  it  slowly  till  it  is  reduced  to  three  pints, 
strain  it,  and  stir  in  the  gravy  drawn  from  the  meat. 
Set  it  over  the  fire,  add  the  vermicelli,  one  head  of  cel¬ 
ery  cut  fine,  a  little  cayenne,  and  salt;  boil  it  up  for  ten 
minutes.  Lay  a  French  roll  in  the  tureen,  pour  the  soup 
over  it,  and  strew  some  vermicelli  on  the  top. 

BAKED  SOUP 

Cut  the  beef  or  mutton  and  the  vegetables  in  pieces, 
season  them  with  salt  and  pepper,  and  put  them  into  a 
jar  with  a  pint  of  peas  and  the  Patna  rice.  Pour  in 
four  quarts  of  water,  cover  the  jar  very  closely,  and 
set  it  in  the  oven  to  bake.  When  done,  strain  it  through 
a  sieve,  and  serve  it  very  hot. 

VERMICELLI  OR  MACARONI  SOUP 

Swell  a  quarter  of  a  pound  of  vermicelli  or  macaroni 
(whichever  is  preferred)  in  a  quart  of  warm  water  for 
one  hour ;  then  add  it  to  some  good  stock  or  plain  veal, 
chicken  or  beef  soup;  add  a  spoonful  of  butter  and  half 
a  pint  of  stewed  tomatoes  just  before  the  soup  is 
served.  This  is  a  very  fine  soup,  and  is  especially  nour¬ 
ishing  for  delicate  stomachs. 

GREEN  PEA  SOUP,  WITHOUT  MEAT,  FOR  LENT 

Put  two  pints  of  green  peas  in  two  quarts  of  water, 
boil  until  the  peas  are  very  soft ;  then  add  three  or  four 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


11 


onions,  two  heads  of  celery,  a  carrot,  and  a  turnip,  all 
cut  small;  season  with  salt  to  taste,  add  a  little  butter, 
and  boil  for  two  hours.  If  it  becomes  too  thick,  add  one 
pint  of  boiling  water.  The  peas  may  be  boiled  the  day 
before,  and  kept  over  for  convenience,  if  desired.  This 
recipe  is  intended  for  green  peas  but  it  may  be  made 
with  dried  peas  also,  and  the  longer  they  boil,  the  bet¬ 
ter  the  soup  will  be.  Do  not  add  the  vegetables  until 
the  day  it  is  wanted. 

TOMATO  SOUP  WITH  VEGETABLES.  VERY  FINE 

Cut  small,  three  carrots,  three  heads  of  celery,  four 
onions  and  two  turnips ;  put  them  into  a  saucepan  with 
a  tablespoonful  of  butter,  a  slice  of  ham  and  a  half  cup 
of  water ;  let  them  simmer  gently  for  an  hour ;  then  if  a 
very  rich  soup  is  desired  add  to  the  vegetables  two  or 
three  quarts  of  good  soup  stock,  made  by  boiling  a  beef 
bone  in  three  quarts  of  water  until  the  meat  is  tender. 
Let  all  boil  together  for  half  an  hour,  and  then  add 
ten  or  twelve  ripe  tomatoes  and  a  half-dozen  whole  pep¬ 
pers.  It  should  cook  for  another  hour  or  so.  It  must 
then  be  strained  through  a  sieve  or  coarse  cloth.  Serve 
with  toasted  or  fried  bread  cut  in  bits  in  the  tureen. 
This  is  an  elegant  family  soup,  particularly  nice  in  sum¬ 
mer  when  the  vegetables  are  fresh. 

CHEAP  WHITE  SOUP 

Chop  up  any  remains  you  may  have  of  cold  veal, 
chicken,  game  or  rabbit  roasted  dry.  Grate  them,  beat 
them  in  a  mortar,  and  rub  them  through  a  sieve.  Then 
add  to  the  panada  a  quart  of  stock,  put  it  into  a  sauce¬ 
pan  and  cook.  Pay  great  attention  to  skimming  as  it 
boils. 


12 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


QUEEN  VICTORIA *S  FAVORITE  GREEN  PEA  SOUP 

Take  two  quarts  of  green  peas,  a  double-handful  of 
parsley,  four  stalks  of  green  mint,  and  a  good  handful 
of  green  onions.  Have  ready  two  quarts  of  veal  or  beef 
stock,  place  it  on  the  fire,  throw  in  the  above  peas,  mint 
and  onions.  Let  them  all  boil;  when  they  are  thor¬ 
oughly  done  take  them  out,  drain  them  and  pound  them 
well  together.  Put  them  in  the  stewpan  again  with  the 
liquor ;  warm  it  and  run  it  through  a  sieve.  Add  at  the 
last  moment  a  half  pound  of  butter  and  a  spoonful  of 
sugar.  Serve  with  fried  bread. 

ECONOMICAL  GREEN  PEA  FAMILY  SOUP  WITH  EGG 
DUMPLINGS 

Take  a  quart  of  shelled  English  peas  for  a  large 
family,  but  if  for  a  small  family  a  pint  will  do.  Put  on 
the  fire  a  veal  bone  or  half  a  chicken ;  if  a  pint  only  of 
peas  is  used  add  any  broiled  steak,  bones,  nice  scraps, 
or  a  small  beef  marrow  bone ;  set  it  on  the  fire  with  a 
gallon  of  water  and  let  it  boil  two  hours.  Then  tie  up 
in  a  muslin  bag,  one  coffeecupful  of  the  green  peas ;  let 
the  others  stand  in  a  cool  place  until  wanted.  Put  this 
bag  of  peas  into  the  pot  with  the  beef  and  chicken  stock, 
and  let  them  boil  until  the  peas  are  perfectly  done.  Skim 
out  the  peas,  meat  and  bones,  and  add  the  rest  of  the 
peas,  and  let  them  boil  gently.  While  these  are  cooking 
pour  the  peas  in  the  bag  into  a  pan  and  mash  them 
smoothly;  then  add  to  them  a  batter  made  with  two 
eggs,  a  spoonful  of  milk  and  flour.  Add  to  the  boiling 
peas  a  spoonful  of  butter  and  a  little  eschalot,  if  the 
flavor  of  onion  is  liked ;  then  drop  the  batter  in  gently, 
a  little  at  a  time,  in  small  round  dumplings,  and  when 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


13 


they  boil  up  your  soup  is  ready  to  serve.  This  is  an 
excellent  spring  soup,  and  is  improved  by  adding  let¬ 
tuce  heads,  but  they  must  be  taken  out  before  the  dump¬ 
lings  are  put  in,  as  they  give  a  dark  color  if  left  in  too 
long. 

CLEAR  PEA  SOUP 

Take  two  quarts  of  good  beef  or  veal  soup  stock — 
which  is  better  for  being  boiled  the  day  before ;  into  this 
put  a  quart  of  young  green  peas,  heads  of  lettuce,  and 
a  sprig  of  mint ;  add  salt  and  pepper  to  taste. 

DRIED  SPLIT-PEA  SOUP 

Take  a  good  beef  marrow-bone  of  one  or  two  pounds 
weight,  or  the  remains  of  roast  beef-bones  and  gravy; 
add  a  slice  of  ham.  Put  these  in  a  pot  with  a  gallon  of 
cold  water;  throw  in  the  pot  two  cups  of  split  peas  or 
small  white  beans,  two  carrots,  two  turnips,  two  large 
onions  or  three  small  ones,  a  stalk  of  celery  cut  in 
pieces,  a  bunch  of  thyme,  and  a  teaspoonful  of  mixed 
black  and  red  pepper.  When  the  vegetables  are  quite 
soft,  which  will  be  in  about  two  hours,  take  the  soup 
from  the  fire,  strain  it  through  a  sieve  or  coarse  cloth ; 
add  salt,  and  put  on  the  fire  again  and  boil  for  a  few 
moments ;  then  pour  it  over  toasted  bread. 

GREEN  CORN  SOUP.  VERY  DELICATE 

Cut  corn  from  the  cob  until  you  have  at  least  a  pint ; 
cover  it  with  a  quart  of  sweet  milk.  Let  it  boil  half  an 
hour,  add  a  teaspoonful  of  salt,  skim  it  carefully,  then 
throw  into  it  a  piece  of  butter  the  size  of  a  hen’s-egg 
and  pepper  to  suit  your  taste.  Serve  with  rolls  or 
toasted  bread. 


2 — Jan.  22. 


14 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


OYSTER  SOUP.  DELICATE 

Take  tlie  oysters  from  their  liquor.  To  every  quart 
of  the  liquor  add  a  pint  of  water  or  milk  (milk  is  pref¬ 
erable)  ;  season  with  salt,  pepper,  butter,  and  toasted 
bread-crumbs  that  have  been  toasted  and  pounded. 
When  this  has  boiled,  put  in  a  quart  of  oysters  to  two 
quarts  of  liquor.  Let  all  boil  a  few  minutes,  and  serve. 

ANOTHER  OYSTER  SOUP.  VERY  STRENGTHENING 

Take  a  knuckle  of  veal  or  a  piece  of  lamb;  allow  a 
quart  of  water  and  a  teaspoonful  of  salt  to  each  pound ; 
set  it  over  the  fire,  let  it  come  to  a  boil,  skim  it  well  and 
then  set  it  back  on  the  stove.  Let  it  simmer  for  two 
hours.  This  will  form  a  fine,  strong,  nourishing  stock 
for  the  soup.  Take  out  the  meat,  and  skim  the  stock 
clear ;  put  in  half  a  pound  of  rolled  crackers  and  a  quart 
of  nice  oysters.  Let  it  boil  up,  and  finish  by  putting  in 
a  large  tablespoonful  of  butter,  and  pepper  and  salt  to 
taste.  Macaroni  or  vermicelli  can  be  substituted  for 
the  crackers,  if  preferred. 

TURTLE  SOUP  FOR  A  LARGE  COMPANY,  NO.  1 

Cut  the  bead  off  the  turtle  the  day  before  you  dress 
it,  and  drain  the  blood  thoroughly  from  the  body.  Then 
cut  it  up  in  the  following  manner:  Divide  the  back, 
belly,  bead  and  fins  from  the  intestines  and  lean  parts. 
Be  careful  not  to  cut  the  gall  bag.  Scald  in  boiling 
water  to  remove  the  skin  and  shell.  Cut  up  in  neat 
pieces  and  throw  into  cold  water.  Boil  the  back  and 
belly  in  a  little  water  long  enough  to  extract  the  bones 
easily.  If  for  a  large  company  a  leg  of  veal  will  also  be 
required,  and  a  slice  of  ham,  which  must  be  stewed  with 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


15 


the  lean  parts  till  well  browned ;  then  add  boiling  water, 
and  the  liquor  and  bones  of  the  boiled  turtle.  Season 
with  sliced  lemon,  whole  pepper,  a  bunch  of  parsley, 
two  leeks  sliced,  and  salt  to  taste.  Let  this  all  boil 
slowly  for  four  hours  then  strain.  Add  the  pieces  of 
back,  belly,  head  and  fins  (take  the  bones  from  the  fins), 
pour  in  half  a  pint  of  Madeira  wine  and  a  quarter  of  a 
pound  of  good  sweet  butter,  with  a  tablespoonful  of 
flour  worked  in  it ;  also,  a  lemon  sliced  thin.  Let  it  boil 
gently  for  two  hours,  then  serve. 

In  cutting  up  the  turtle  great  care  should  be  taken 
of  the  fat,  which  should  be  separated,  cut  up  neatly, 
and  stewed  till  tender  in  a  little  of  the  liquor,  and  put 
into  the  tureen  when  ready  to  serve.  Garnish  with  the 
eggs,  if  any;  if  not,  use  hard-boiled  eggs  of  fowls. 

TURTLE  SOUP  NO.  2 

Put  on,  at  an  early  hour  in  the  morning,  eight  pounds 
of  beef  or  veal,  one  pound  of  ham  or  bacon,  eight  on¬ 
ions,  with  pepper,  salt,  and  sweet  herbs  to  taste.  Make 
a  rich  soup  of  this,  and  add  to  it  the  liquor  of  a  boiled 
turtle ;  season  very  high  with  wine,  spice,  cayenne,  and 
catsup.  Put  in  the  flesh  of  the  turtle,  prepared  as  in 
recipe  No.  1 — do  not  use  the  eyes  or  tongue.  Let  this  boil 
up  till  tender,  and  serve  with  force-meat  balls  in  tureen. 
Curry  powder  will  give  a  higher  flavor  to  soups  than 
spice. 


PLAIN  MOCK-TURTLE  SOUP 


Boil  a  calf’s-head  until  very  tender;  take  out  the 
head,  strain  the  liquor,  and  skim  off  the  fat  when  cold, 


16 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


and  keep  till  following  day.  Cut  up  the  meat  of  the 
head  and  brain,  and  add  to  the  liquor ;  place  over  the 
fire,  after  seasoning  to  taste  with  pepper,  salt,  mace, 
cloves,  sweet,  herbs,  and  onions.  Let  it  stew  an  hour, 
then  add  a  tumbler  of  white  wine,  and  it  is  ready  for  the 
force-meat  balls.  For  the  balls,  chop  a  pound  of  lean 
veal  with  half  a  pound  of  salt  pork ;  add  the  brains  of 
the  calf’s-head,  seasoned  with  pepper,  salt,  mace, 
cloves,  sweet  herbs,  or  curry  powder.  Make  into  balls 
the  size  of  the  yolk  of  an  egg ;  boil  part  in  the  soup,  fry 
the  rest  for  a  separate  dish. 

MOCK-TURTLE  SOUP  NO.  2 

Put  into  a  pot  a  knuckle  of  veal,  two  calf’s  feet,  two 
onions,  a  few  cloves,  pepper,  allspice,  mace  and  sweet 
herbs;  cover  them  with  water;  tie  a  thick  paper  over 
the  pot,  or  cover  it  close.  Let  it  stew  four  hours  Re¬ 
move  from  the  fire  and  let  it  cool.  When  cold  take  off 
the  fat  very  nicely,  cut  the  meat  and  feet  into  bits  an 
inch  square,  remove  the  bones  and  coarse  parts;  then 
place  over  the  fire  again  to  warm.  Add  a  large  spoonful 
of  walnut  catsup,  one  of  mushroom  catsup,  a  little 
mushroom  powder,  or  a  few  mushrooms,  and  the  jelly 
of  the  meat.  When  hot,  serve  with  hard  eggs,  force¬ 
meat  balls,  and  the  juice  of  one  lemon. 

MOCK-TURTLE  SOUP.  EXCELLENT,  NO.  3 

Clean  a  calf’s  head  nicely,  split  it  and  take  out  the 
brains ;  put  the  head  into  considerably  more  water  than 
will  cover  it.  Let  it  boil  gently,  and  skim  it  carefully ; 
when  very  tender  take  it  out  and  cut  in  small  pieces. 
Put  into  the  boiling  soup  three  pounds  of  beef  and  a 
knuckle  of  veal  with  all  the  bones  broken  fine.  Add  to 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


17 


this  four  or  five  onions,  a  carrot  and  turnip  sliced,  and 
a  bunch  of  sweet  herbs.  Let  it  boil  gently  for  three 
hours.  Parboil  the  tongue  and  brains  of  the  calf’s  head, 
and  add  them  when  the  soup  is  nearly  done.  Let  it 
cool  and  take  off  the  fat. 

To  finish  it  for  the  table,  melt  a  quarter  of  a  pound 
of  nice  fresh  butter,  add  a  handful  of  flour  and  stir  over 
the  fire  till  the  butter  and  flour  are  brown ;  add  to  this 
a  little  of  the  soup,  a  few  sprigs  of  parsley  and  sweet 
basil ;  boil  it  for  fifteen  minutes  and  add  it  to  the  soup, 
together  with  two  tablespoonfuls  of  catsup,  the  juice  of 
a  lemon,  and  salt  to  taste.  It  is  usual  to  add  a  pint  of 
sherry.  When  dished  in  the  tureen,  put  in  two  dozen 
egg  balls. 


EGG  BALLS  FOR  MOCK-TURTLE  SOUP 

Make  a  paste  of  the  yolks  of  four  hard-boiled  eggs 
and  the  white  of  two  raw  ones;  season  with  salt  and 
cayenne  pepper.  Take  bits  of  the  paste  the  size  of  small 
marbles,  run  them  in  flour  and  roll  into  balls ;  fry  care¬ 
fully  in  butter  and  drop  into  the  soup. 

OX-TAIL  SOUP 

Cut  each  joint  of  two  ox-tails  with  a  meat-saw,  steep 
them  in  water  for  two  hours ;  then  place  them  in  a  stew- 
pan  with  three  carrots,  three  turnips,  three  onions,  two 
heads  of  celery,  four  cloves,  and  a  blade  of  mace. 

Fill  up  the  stew-pan  from  the  boiling  stock-pot ;  boil 
this  over  a  slow  fire  until  done  and  the  joints  quite  ten¬ 
der.  Take  them  out,  cool  them,  and  clarify  the  broth. 
Strain  this  into  a  soup-pot,  put  with  it  the  pieces  of 
ox-tail,  some  olive  shaped  pieces  of  carrot  and  turnip 


18 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


which  have  been  boiled  in  a  little  of  the  broth ;  add  to 
this  when  it  has  boiled  half  an  hour  a  small  lump  of 
sugar  and  a  little  red  pepper.  This  soup  is  excellent, 
and  may  be  served  with  any  kind  of  vegetables  strained 
in  it,  such  as  puree  of  peas,  carrots,  turnips,  or  celery. 

BABBIT  SOUP 

Cut  one  or  two  rabbits  into  joints ;  lay  them  for  an 
hour  in  cold  water;  dry  and  fry  them  in  butter  until 
they  are  half  done ;  place  the  meat  in  a  saucepan  with 
four  or  five  onions  and  a  head  of  celery  cut  small ;  add 
to  these  three  parts  of  cold  water  and  a  cup  of  peas, 
either  green  or  dry ;  season  with  pepper  and  salt,  then 
strain  and  serve  it.  Some  like  it  unstrained. 

REMARKS  ON  GOMBO  OF  OKRA  OR  FILEE 

This  is  a  most  excellent  form  of  soup,  and  is  an  eco¬ 
nomical  way  of  using  up  the  remains  of  any  cold  roast¬ 
ed  chicken,  turkey,  game,  or  other  meats.  Cut  up  and 
season  the  chicken,  meat,  or  other  material  to  make 
the  soup ;  fry  to  a  light  brown  in  a  pot,  and  add  boiling 
water  in  proportion  to  your  meat.  Two  pounds  of  meat 
or  chicken  (bones  and  all),  with  a  half  pound  of  ham, 
or  less  of  breakfast-bacon,  will  flavor  a  gallon  of  soup, 
which, when  boiled  down,  will  make  gombo  for  six  peo¬ 
ple.  When  the  boiling  water  is  added  to  the  meat,  let  it 
simmer  for  at  least  two  hours.  Take  the  large  bones 
from  the  pot,  and  add  okra  or  a  preparation  of  dried 
and  pounded  sassafras  leaves,  called  filee.  This  makes 
the  difference  in  gombo.  For  gombo  for  six  people  use 
one  quart  of  sliced  okra ;  if  filee  be  used,  put  in  a  coffee- 
cupful.  Either  gives  the  smoothness  so  desirable  in 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


19 


this  soup.  Oysters,  crabs,  and  shrimp  may  be  added 
when  in  season,  as  all  improve  the  gombo.  Never  strain 
gombo.  Add  green  corn,  tomatoes,  etc.,  etc.,  if  desired. 
Serve  gombo  with  plain-boiled  rice. 

GOMBO  WITH  CRABS,  OR  SHRIMP 

To  a  pound  of  beef  add  half  a  pound  knuckle  of  ham ; 
chop  up  both  in  inch  pieces  and  fry  them  brown  in  two 
tablespoonfuls  of  boiling  lard;  add  to  them  four  large 
crabs  cut  up,  or  a  pound  of  peeled  shrimps,  or  both  if 
desired ;  cut  into  this  four  dozen  small  okra  pods,  one 
large  onion,  a  little  red  pepper,  and  salt  to  taste.  Let  all 
simmer  on  a  slow  fire  for  about  twenty  minutes ;  then 
fill  up  with  warm  water,  enough  to  cover  the  contents 
two  inches  deep.  Let  this  boil  for  two  hours.  If  it  be¬ 
comes  too  thick,  add  as  much  water  as  required.  If  pre¬ 
ferred  a  chicken  can  be  used  instead  of  the  beef. 

SIMPLE  OKRA  GOMBO 

Chop  a  pound  of  beef  and  half  a  pound  of  veal  brisket 
into  squares  an  inch  thick ;  slice  three  dozen  okra  pods, 
one  onion,  a  pod  of  red  pepper,  and  fry  all  together. 
When  brown  pour  in  half  a  gallon  of  water ;  add  more  as 
it  boils  away.  Serve  with  rice  as  usual. 

OYSTER  GOMBO  WITH  FILEE,  HO.  1 

Take  a  grown  chicken,  fifty  oysters,  and  a  half-pound 
of  ham  to  flavor  the  gombo.  Cut  up  two  onions  fine,  fry 
them  in  lard  and  thicken  the  gravy  with  flour ;  a  tea¬ 
spoonful  will  be  enough.  Cut  up  the  chicken  and  ham, 
and  put  them  to  fry  with  the  onions.  Let  all  cook  gen¬ 
tly  till  brown,  then  put  in  a  pint  of  boiling  water  and 


20 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


boil  the  chicken  until  it  is  almost  in  pieces.  Half-an- 
hour  before  dinner  pour  in  the  oysters  and  their  liquor. 
When  ready  for  the  table  take  a  large  spoonful  of  fresh 
powdered  sassafras  leaves  or  filee,  wet  it  with  a  little  of 
the  soup,  and  stir  it  into  the  soup.  If  not  thick  or  ropy 
enough,  stir  in  another  spoonful.  Do  not  let  the  soup 
boil  after  the  filee  is  put  in,  but  remove  it  from  the  fire, 
or  serve  it  immediately. 

GOMBO  FILEE  WITH  OYSTERS,  NO.  2 

Fry  a  tablespoonful  of  flour  in  a  tablespoonful  of 
lard.  Let  it  brown  slowly  so  as  not  to  scorch.  Boil  the 
liquor  of  two  quarts  of  oysters,  and  when  it  is  boiling 
throw  in  a  cupful  of  cut  leeks  or  onions,  a  large  slice  of 
ham,  some  parsley,  and  stir  in  the  browned  flour.  Let 
this  cook  fifteen  minutes;  then  pour  in  two  quarts  of 
oysters.  Let  them  boil  a  few  minutes,  season  with  salt 
and  pepper ;  take  out  the  parsley  and  sift  in  half  a  cup 
of  dried  and  pounded  fresh  filee ;  if  not  fresh  more  will 
be  required. 


CHICKEN  GOMBO  WITH  OYSTERS 

Take  a  young  chicken,  or  the  half  of  a  grown  one; 
cut  it  up,  roll  it  in  salt,  pepper  and  flour,  and  fry  it  a 
nice  brown,  using  lard  or  drippings,  as  if  for  fricassee. 
Cut  up  a  quart  of  fresh  green  okras,  and  take  out  the 
chicken  and  fry  the  okra  in  the  same  lard.  When  well 
browned  return  the  chicken  to  the  pot  and  boil.  Add 
to  it  a  large  slice  of  ham ;  a  quarter  of  a  pound  will  be 
about  right  for  this  gombo.  Pour  onto  the  chicken, 
ham  and  okra,  half  a  gallon  of  boiling  water,  and  let  it 
boil  down  to  three  pints.  Ten  minutes  before  serving 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


21 


pour  into  the  boiling  soup  two  dozen  fine  oysters  with 
half  a  pint  of  their  liquor.  Let  it  come  to  a  good  boil, 
and  serve  it  with  well-boiled  rice. 

MAIGRE  OYSTER  GOMBO 

Take  100  oysters  with  their  juice,  and  one  large 
onion ;  slice  the  onion  into  hot  lard  and  fry  it  brown, 
adding  when  brown  a  tablespoonful  of  flour  and  red 
pepper.  When  thick  enough  pour  in  the  oysters.  Boil 
together  twenty  minutes.  Stir  in  a  large  spoonful  of 
butter  and  one  or  two  tablespoonfuls  of  filee,  then 
take  the  soup  from  the  fire  and  serve  with  rice. 

MAIGRE  SHRIMP  GOMBO  FOR  LENT 

Boil  a  pint  of  shrimps  in  a  quart  of  water ;  give  them 
only  one  boil  up ;  then  set  them  to  drain  and  cool,  re¬ 
serving  the  water  they  were  boiled  in.  Chop  up  three 
dozen  okra  pods,  two  onions,  a  pod  of  pepper,  and  a  lit¬ 
tle  parsley,  and  fry  them  brown  in  a  little  lard  or  but¬ 
ter  ;  add  to  the  okra  the  shrimps  and  the  strained  water 
in  which  they  were  boiled.  Let  all  boil  for  an  hour,  and 
season  with  salt  and  pepper  to  taste.  When  shrimp 
and  crabs  can  not  be  procured,  half  a  pound  of  dry  cod¬ 
fish,  soaked  an  hour  or  two,  and  chopped  fine,  will  do 
very  well.  All  gombo  should  be  thickened  with  a  little 
flour — browned  if  preferred — and  stirred  in  just  before 
adding  the  water;  then  boil  an  hour. 

CRAB  GOMBO,  WITH  OKRA 

Take  six  large  crabs,  throw  them  in  cold  water  for 
a  few  moments.  When  cool  cut  off  the  limbs — while 
they  are  living  if  possible,  as  this  renders  them  more 


22 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


delicate ;  clean  them,  and  pnt  them  to  fry,  shells  and  all, 
in  a  pot  containing  a  cup  of  lard,  a  cup  of  cut  onions,  a 
small  bunch  of  parsley,  and  two  tablespoonfuls  of 
browned  flour.  Let  them  cook  about  fifteen  minutes, 
and  then  pour  on  them  two  pints  of  boiling  water  and 
a  quart  of  sliced  okra ;  let  it  all  stew  gently  for  half  an 
hour,  and  add  a  slice  of  lean  ham  and  a  quart  of  good 
veal  or  beef  stock  (made  by  boiling  two  pounds  of  veal 
or  beef  in  two  quarts  of  water  until  reduced  to  a  quart) ; 
season  with  a  teaspoonful  of  salt,  and  same  of  black 
and  red  pepper,  and  let  all  boil  for  half  an  hour. 
This  soup  can  be  made  in  the  oyster  season  by  putting 
in  a  quart  of  oysters  and  two  quarts  of  their  liquor  in¬ 
stead  of  the  boiled  beef  stock. 


CRAYFISH  BISQUE.  A  CREOLE  DISH 

Parboil  the  fish,  pick  out  the  meat,  and  mince  or 
pound  it  in  a  mortar  until  very  fine;  it  will  require 
about  fifty  crayfish.  Add  to  the  fish  one-third  the  quan¬ 
tity  of  bread  soaked  in  milk,  and  a  quarter  of  a  pound 
of  butter,  also  salt  to  taste,  a  bunch  of  thyme,  two 
leaves  of  sage,  a  small  piece  of  garlic  and  a  chopped 
onion.  Mix  all  well  and  cook  ten  minutes,  stirring  all 
the  time  to  keep  it  from  growing  hard.  Clean  the  heads 
of  the  fish,  throw  them  in  strong  salt  and  water  for  a 
few  minutes  and  then  drain  them.  Fill  each  one  with 
the  above  stuffing,  flour  them,  and  fry  a  light  brown. 
Set  a  clean  stewpan  over  a  slow  fire,  put  into  it  three 
spoonfuls  of  lard  or  butter,  a  slice  of  ham  or  bacon,  two 
onions  chopped  fine ;  dredge  over  it  enough  flour  to  ab¬ 
sorb  the  grease,  then  add  a  pint  and  a  half  of  boiling 
water,  or  better  still,  plain  beef  stock.  Season  this  with 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


23 


a  bunch  of  thyme,  a  bay  leaf,  and  salt  and  pepper  to 
taste.  Let  it  cook  slowly  for  half  an  hour,  then  put  the 
heads  of  the  crayfish  in  and  let  them  boil  fifteen  min¬ 
utes.  Serve  rice  with  it. 


FISH 

FRICASSEE  OF  FISH 

All  large  fish  make  nice  fricassee.  Cut  the  fish  into 
slices  and  lay  it  in  a  gravy  made  of  fried  onions,  pars¬ 
ley,  tomatoes  and  a  little  garlic;  fry  in  butter  and  serve. 
Add  catsup  if  liked. 


TO  FRY  FISH 

The  fat  from  bacon,  or  salt  pork,  is  much  nicer  to  fry 
fish  in,  than  lard.  After  the  fish  is  cleaned,  wash  it  and 
wipe  it  dry,  and  let  it  lie  on  a  cloth  till  all  the  moisture 
is  absorbed;  then  roll  it  in  flour.  No  salt  is  required 
if  fried  in  bacon  or  pork  fat.  There  must  be  fat  enough 
to  float  the  fish  or  they  will  not  fry  nicely,  but  instead 
soak  fat  and  be  soft  to  the  touch. 

TO  STUFF  AND  BAKE  FISH 

Choose  any  of  the  many  dressings  in  this  book.  Take 
either  plain  bread  stuffing,  veal  stuffing,  or  force-meat ; 
fill  the  fish  and  sew  it  up ;  put  a  teacup  of  water  in  the 
baking  pan,  with  a  spoonful  of  butter  and  bake,  accord¬ 
ing  to  the  size  of  the  fish,  from  thirty  minutes  to  an 
hour.  Season  with  pepper  and  salt  and  bake  brown. 

CROAKERS  AND  MULLETS  FRIED 

Have  them  perfectly  cleaned ;  trim  the  fins,  wipe  the 
fish  with  a  clean  cloth,  salt  and  pepper  each  one,  and 


24 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


roll  it  in  flour  or  fine  corn  meal,  and  then  drop  it  into 
a  pot  of  boiling  lard  and  bacon  grease  mixed.  When 
brown,  pile  up  on  a  hot  dish  and  serve,  with  any  de¬ 
sired  sauce  or  catsup. 

FILLETS  OB  SLICED  FISH,  FKIED 

When  the  fish  is  too  large  to  fry  whole,  cut  into  slices 
and  place  them  in  a  crock;  season  with  pepper,  salt,  oil, 
lemon  juice,  and  chopped  parsley.  Turn  the  fish  in  this 
mixture  so  that  all  parts  may  become  well  saturated 
with  the  seasoning.  When  wanted,  drain,  wipe  dry  and 
dip  each  piece  separately  in  flour;  drop  into  boiling 
lard;  take  it  up  as  it  browns,  and  ornament  the  dish 
with  a  border  of  fried  parsley.  Send  to  table  with  sauce 
to  suit  the  taste. 

TKOTJT  STUFFED  AND  BAKED 

Stuff  one  or  more  fish,  with  any  stuffing  desired; 
score  them  well  and  put  in  a  buttered  pan  to  bake ;  sea¬ 
son  with  pepper,  salt  and  chopped  parsley,  moisten 
them  with  a  little  essence  of  mushrooms  or  catsup  and 
butter.  Baste  every  five  minutes  until  they  are  done ; 
remove  the  fish  to  a  hot  dish.  Throw  a  little  wine  or 
vinegar  into  the  pan,  and  stir  it  to  detach  the  crust 
from  the  pan ;  boil  this  sauce  down,  add  a  little  more 
butter  and  pour  over  the  fish.  Mushrooms  are  an  im¬ 
provement  to  the  sauce ;  but  if  not  convenient,  tomato 
sauce  will  answer. 

TBOUT  A  LA  VENITIENNE 

After  well  cleaning  your  trout,  make  slashes  in  the 
back,  and  insert  butter  rolled  in  parsley,  lemon,  thyme, 
basil,  chives  all  minced  very  fine ;  pour  some  salad  oil 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


25 


over  it,  and  let  it  lie  for  half  an  hour;  cover  it  with 
bread  crumbs  and  chopped  sweet  herbs,  boil  it  over  a 
clear  fire  which  is  not  too  quick,  and  serve  it  with  sauce 
No.  13. 

BROILED  SPANISH  MACKEREL 

Split  the  mackerel  down  the  back ;  season  with  pep¬ 
per  and  salt,  rub  it  over  with  oil,  place  it  on  a  gridiron 
over  a  moderate  fire  and,  when  browned  on  one  side, 
turn.  If  it  is  a  very  large  fish,  divide  it  and  broil  one 
half  at  a  time.  When  done,  place  it  on  a  dish,  and  put 
butter,  parsley  and  lemon  juice  over  it.  Serve  with 
sauce  No.  13. 

BROILED  FLOUNDER 

This  is  cooked  just  as  the  Spanish  mackerel  in  the 
preceding  recipe;  and  may  be  sent  to  table  with  the 
same  sauce,  or  sauce  a  l’aurore  No.  14. 

FLOUNDERS  AND  MULLETS  FRIED 

These  fish  are  very  fine  when  fresh  from  the  waters 
of  Lake  Pontchartrain.  Flounder  is  better  broiled,  but 
still  is  very  nice  fried.  Clean  and  dry  the  fish.  Do  not 
cut  them  in  pieces,  but  score  them  across  if  very  large. 
Have  lard  or  bacon  fat  very  hot ;  roll  the  fish  in  flour 
and  drop  into  the  boiling  fat.  Let  them  cook  until 
brown,  and  serve  with  sauce  No.  15. 

PLAIN  BOILED  RED  FISH  OR  RED  SNAPPER 

Wash  the  fish;  when  cleaned,  wipe  it  dry  and  rub  it 
over  with  lemon  juice  and  salt.  Put  it  in  a  fish  kettle 
or  other  vessel  to  boil,  cover  it  with  soft  water  and 
throw  in  a  handful  of  salt.  As  soon  as  it  begins  to  boil, 
skim  it  and  let  it  simmer ;  hard  boiling  breaks  the  flesh 


26 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


before  it  is  cooked  thoroughly.  When  done,  lift  it  out 
of  the  water  with  a  drainer,  slip  it  carefully  on  a  dish 
and  send  to  table  with  sauces  No.  13  and  No.  3. 

RED-FISH  A  LA  PROVEN CALE 

Have  properly  cleaned  a  medium  sized  fish;  score  it 
deep  then  put  in  a  large  dish  and  cover  with  a  pickle  or 
marinade  made  of  two  sliced  carrots,  two  onions,  some 
parsley  and  bay-leaves,  three  cloves  of  garlic,  pepper 
and  salt,  the  juice  of  two  lemons,  and  a  gill  of  salad 
oil.  When  thoroughly  flavored,  remove  the  fish  from 
the  marinade  and  bake  three-quarters  of  an  hour,  bast¬ 
ing  frequently  with  wine  and  butter.  When  done,  put 
it  on  a  platter  and  keep  hot.  Add  half  a  bottle  of  wine 
and  some  cayenne  pepper  to  the  marinade;  stew  well 
and  strain  over  the  fish.  Garnish  with  cut  lemon, 
sprigs  of  parsley  and  capers. 

BAKED  AND  STEWED  CODFISH 

Scald  for  ten  minutes  some  soaked  codfish,  it  should 
soak  all  night;  then  scrape  it  white,  pick  it  in  flakes, 
and  put  it  in  a  stewpan  with  a  tablespoonful  of  nice 
butter  worked  into  as  much  flour,  and  milk  enough  to 
moisten  it.  Let  it  stew  gently  ten  minutes ;  add  pepper 
to  taste,  and  serve  hot.  Slice  hard-boiled  eggs  over  it, 
and  sprigs  of  parsley  around  the  dish. 

If  the  fish  is  to  be  baked  you  must  put  it  on  to  scald, 
as  above,  after  soaking  all  night ;  you  must  then  put  on 
double  as  much  Irish  potatoes  as  the  quantity  of  cod¬ 
fish.  Boil  them,  mash  them,  and  then  pick  up  the  cod¬ 
fish  fine,  seasoning  it  with  butter  and  pepper ;  moisten 
it  with  two  beaten  eggs,  a  little  chopped  onion,  and 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


27 


milk  if  necessary.  Make  it  all  into  a  large  soft  pat,  or 
cake,  smooth  it  with  a  knife  blade  and  put  it  in  the 
stove  to  be  browned  lightly. 

CODFISH  CAKES 

Soak  the  codfish  all  night,  then  scald  for  ten  minutes ; 
put  to  it  an  equal  quantity  of  potatoes  boiled  and 
mashed ;  moisten  it  with  beaten  eggs,  a  bit  of  butter  and 
a  little  pepper ;  form  it  into  round  cakes,  about  half  an 
inch  thick,  roll  them  each  one  in  flour,  and  fry  in  hot 
lard  until  they  are  a  delicate  brown.  The  lard  must  be 
boiling,  and  the  cakes  fried  gently. 

COD  AU  BEURRE  ROUX 

Cod;  a  little  browned  butter;  a  little  flour;  sugar; 
one  onion;  tablespoonful  of  vinegar. 

For  cod  au  beurre  roux,  boil  a  piece  of  cod  and  sep¬ 
arate  it  into  flakes ;  brown  some  butter,  dredge  in  a  lit¬ 
tle  flour,  and  a  little  sugar  in  powder,  and  in  this  fry 
some  slices  of  onion  a  fine  brown ;  throw  in  the  vinegar, 
boil  it  up,  pour  over  the  fish,  and  serve  it  with  crisp 
parsley. 


OYSTER  STUFFING  FOR  TURKEY 

Take  three  or  four  dozen  nice  plump  oysters,  wash 
and  beard  them,  add  to  them  a  tumblerful  of  bread 
crumbs ;  chop  up  a  tumblerful  of  nice  beef  suet ;  mix  to¬ 
gether,  and  moisten  with  three  eggs ;  season  with  salt, 
pepper,  a  little  butter,  a  teaspoonful  of  mace,  and  some 
cayenne  pepper.  Roll  force-meat  into  cakes,  and  fry 
them.  They  are  pretty  laid  around  a  turkey  or 
chicken. 


28 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


OYSTERS  STEWED  WITH  CHAMPAGNE 

Put  into  a  silver  chafing  dish  a  quarter  of  a  pound 
of  butter;  lay  in  a  quart  of  oysters;  strew  over  them 
grated  bread  which  has  been  toasted,  beaten  and  sifted, 
some  cut  parsley  and  a  little  pepper  and  salt ;  cover  the 
top  with  bits  of  butter  cut  thin;  pour  on  a  pint  of 
champagne,  cover  and  cook.  This  may  be  done  in  a  pan 
or  oven. 

OYSTERS  STEWED  WITH  MILK 

Take  a  pint  of  fine  oysters,  one-half  pint  of  their  own 
liquor  and  a  half  a  pint  of  milk;  boil  the  liquor,  take 
off  the  scum;  put  in  a  quarter  of  a  pound  of  butter, 
pepper  and  salt  to  taste,  and  serve  crackers  and 
dressed  celery  with  them. 

STEWED  OYSTERS  ON  TOAST 

Take  the  oysters  from  their  liquor,  let  it  settle ;  then 
strain  and  add  some  whole  pepper,  two  blades  of  mace, 
and  three  cloves,  and  put  over  a  moderate  fire  in  a 
block-tin  covered  sauce-pan;  mix  a  little  flour  with  a 
piece  of  butter,  as  large  as  a  hen’s  egg  for  two  dozen 
oysters,  and  stir  in  the  boiling  liquor;  remove  any 
scum  which  may  rise,  then  put  in  the  oysters  and  let 
them  cook  for  five  minutes.  Line  a  hot  oyster  dish 
with  toasted,  well-buttered  bread,  and  pour  over  it  the 
boiling  oysters.  Only  rich  juicy  oysters  will  stew  to 
advantage.  Milk  is  always  an  improvement,  but  in 
this  recipe  it  can  be  dispensed  with;  if,  however,  it 
is  convenient  pour  in  a  half  a  pint  just  as  the  oysters 
are  put  in  to  boil,  as  earlier  it  might  curdle. 

OYSTER  TOAST 

A  nice  little  dish  for  a  luncheon  or  a  late  supper. 
Scald  a  quart  of  oysters  in  their  own  liquor,  take  them 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


29 


out  and  pound  or  chop  them  to  a  paste;  add  a  little 
cream  or  fresh  butter,  and  some  pepper  and  salt.  Get 
ready  some  thin  slices  of  toast  moistened  with  boiling 
water,  and  spread  with  fresh  butter ;  then,  spread  over 
the  butter  the  oyster  paste.  Put  a  thin  slice  of  fresh 
cut  lemon  on  each  piece,  and  lay  parsley  on  the  platter. 
Serve  this  very  hot  or  it  will  not  be  good. 

SCALLOPED  OYSTERS. - NO.  1 

Lay  the  oysters  in  a  shallow  pan  or  dish  with  a  little 
of  their  own  liquor,  some  pepper,  salt,  chopped  parsley, 
butter,  and  grated  breadcrumbs.  Have  a  layer  of  bread 
crumbs  on  the  top  of  the  pan,  and  set  it  in  the  oven  to 
bake  a  light  brown.  They  should  be  served  hot  with 
tomato  or  walnut  catsup  poured  over  them. 

,  SCALLOPED  OYSTERS. — NO.  2 

Procure  any  quantity  of  oysters  desired,  and  place  in 
a  baking  dish;  put  alternate  layers  of  oysters  and 
pounded  crackers ;  season  each  layer  with  salt,  pepper 
and  butter.  When  filled,  pour  on  enough  milk  to  soak 
the  crackers,  and  bake  forty  minutes.  Serve  hot. 

OYSTERS  FRIED 

Take  large  oysters  from  their  own  liquor;  dry  and 
lay  them  in  a  towel  till  you  heat,  very  hot,  a  cup  of  lard 
in  a  thick-bottomed  pan.  Dip  each  oyster  in  wheat 
flour,  or  rolled  cracker,  until  it  will  hold  no  more ;  then 
lay  it  in  the  pan.  The  fire  must  be  moderate,  or  the 
oysters  will  scorch  before  cooking  through.  They  will 
brown  on  one  side  in  five  minutes,  then  turn  them. 
Oysters  may  be  dipped  in  beaten  egg  and  rolled  cracker, 
and  then  fried. 


3 


30 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


OYSTER  PICKLE.  VEKY  EASY  AND  NICE 

Wash  four  dozen  oysters;  let  them  be  fine  and  large, 
with  plenty  of  their  own  liquor.  Pick  them  carefully, 
strain  their  liquor  and  to  it  add  a  dessertspoonful  of 
pepper,  two  blades  of  mace,  a  tablespoonful  of  salt,  and 
a  cup  of  strong  wine  vinegar.  Simmer  the  oysters  in 
this  five  minutes,  then  put  them  in  small  jars.  Boil  the 
pickle  again,  and  when  cold  add  a  cup  of  fresh  vinegar; 
and  fill  up  the  jars,  cork  them,  and  set  away  for  use. 

VEAL  SWEETBREAD  AND  OYSTER  PIE 

The  sweetbread  of  veal  is  the  most  delicate  part  of 
the  animal.  Boil  it  tender,  season  with  pepper,  salt  and 
butter;  put  in  two  dozen  oysters;  thicken  their  juice 
with  a  cup  of  cream,  a  tablespoonful  of  butter,  the  yolks 
of  two  hard-boiled  eggs,  and  a  tablespoonful  of  flour. 
Pour  all  in  a  deep  pan,  and  cover  with  paste  and  bake. 
If  there  is  too  much  liquid,  keep  it  to  serve  with  the 
pie,  if  necessary,  when  baked.  After  baking,  the  pie  is 
sometimes  too  dry. 

BEEFSTEAK  AND  OYSTER  PIE 

Cut  three  pounds  of  lean  beefsteak.  Salt,  pepper  and 
fry  quickly  so  as  to  brown  without  cooking  through; 
then  place  in  a  deep  dish.  Get  four  dozen  oysters, 
beard  them,  and  lay  them  in  the  pan  over  the  beef ;  sea¬ 
son  with  salt  and  pepper.  Take  the  gravy  in  which  the 
steaks  were  fried,  pour  out  some  of  the  grease ;  dredge 
in  a  tablespoonful  of  flour,  let  it  brown  and  add  to  it  a 
pint  of  good  beef  broth,  then  put  in  a  wine-glassful 
of  mushroom  catsup,  some  of  Harvey’s  or  Worcester¬ 
shire  sauce ;  heat  it,  and  let  it  boil  up  a  few  times,  then 
pour  it  over  the  oysters  and  steak.  When  the  gravy 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


31 


has  become  cool,  cover  the  pie  with  a  good  puff  paste, 
and  bake  it  for  an  hour  and  a  half. 

FRICASSEE  OF  CRABS 

Take  six  nice  fat  crabs,  wash  them,  and  while  alive 
chop  off  the  claws;  then  clean  the  rest  of  the  crabs 
carefully  and  lay  them  in  a  dish.  Chop  up  two  onions 
fine,  fry  them  in  a  tablespoonful  of  butter  and  lard 
mixed ;  when  brown  and  soft  stir  in  a  large  spoonful  of 
flour,  which  must  also  brown  nicely;  throw  in  some 
chopped  parsley  and  a  little  green  onion,  and  when  they 
are  cooked  pour  on  a  quart  of  boiling  water — this  is 
the  gravy.  Now  put  in  the  crabs  without  parboiling. 
Let  them  simmer  in  the  gravy  for  half  an  hour,  and 
serve  with  boiled  rice.  Parboiling  crabs  destroys  their 
flavor;  they  should  be  alive  to  the  last  moment. 

SOFT-SHELLED  CRABS,  FRIED 

Clean  the  crabs  properly,  dip  them  into  rolled 
cracker,  and  fry  them  in  hot  lard  salted.  They  must 
be  dried  carefully  before  frying,  or  they  will  not  brown 
well.  Serve  with  any  favorite  sauce. 

TO  DRESS  A  TURTLE 

Cut  off  the  head  and  let  it  bleed  well.  Separate  the 
bottom  shell  from  the  top  with  care,  for  fear  of  break¬ 
ing  the  gall  bag.  Throw  the  liver  and  eggs,  if  any,  into 
a  bowl  of  water.  Slice  off  all  the  meat  from  the  under¬ 
shell  and  put  in  water  also;  break  the  shell  in  pieces, 
wash  carefully  and  place  it  in  a  pot;  cover  it  with 
water,  and  add  one  pound  of  middling  or  flitch  of 
bacon  with  four  chopped  onions.  Set  this  on  the  fire  to 


32 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


boil.  (If  preferred,  open  and  clean  the  chitterlings  or 
intestines  also — some  use  them.)  Let  this  boil  gently 
for  four  hours ;  keep  the  liver  to  fry.  While  the  under¬ 
shell  is  boiling,  wash  the  top-shell  neatly,  cut  all  the 
meat  out,  cover  it  up  and  set  it  by.  Parboil  the  fins, 
clean  them  perfectly ;  take  off  the  black  skin  and  throw 
them  into  water.  Now  cut  the  flesh  removed  from  both 
shells  into  small  pieces ;  cut  the  fins  up ;  sprinkle  with 
salt,  cover  and  set  them  by.  When  the  pot  containing 
the  shells,  etc.,  has  boiled  four  hours,  take  out  the 
bacon,  scrape  the  shell,  clean  and  strain  the  liquor, 
pour  back  in  the  pot  about  one  quart,  and  put  the  rest 
by  for  the  soup  (Turtle  Soup  No.  2).  Pick  out  the  nice 
pieces  strained  out,  and  put  with  the  fins  in  the  gravy. 
Add  to  the  meat  one  bottle  of  wine,  one  gill  mushroom 
catsup,  one  gill  of  lemon  pickle,  cloves,  nutmeg,  salt, 
pepper,  and  one  pound  fresh  butter  rolled  in  flour. 
Stew  together;  take  out  the  herbs,  thicken  with  flour 
and  put  in  the  shell  to  bake  with  a  puff  paste  around 
it.  Trim  with  eggs. 


* ‘ GRENOXJILLES  FRITES,”  OR  FRIED  FROGS 

Use  only  the  hind-quarters  of  the  frogs.  After  wash¬ 
ing  them  in  warm  water,  soak  well ;  then  put  them  into 
cold  vinegar  with  a  little  salt,  and  let  them  remain  one 
or  two  hours,  after  which  throw  them  into  scalding 
water,  and  remove  the  skin  without  tearing  the  flesh. 
Wipe  them  dry,  dust  flour  on  them  and  fry  in  butter  or 
sweet  oil,  with  plenty  of  chopped  parsley.  When  brown, 
dust  pepper  and  a  little  salt  over  them,  and  garnish 
with  crisped  parsley.  Stewed  frogs  are  seasoned  with 
butter,  wine,  beaten  eggs  and  parsley  chopped  fine. 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


33 


TERRAPIN 

Like  crabs  and  lobsters,  terrapins  are  thrown  alive 
into  boiling  water  and  let  boil  till  the  outer  shell  and 
toe-nails  can  be  removed.  Then  wash  and  boil  them 
in  salted  water  till  the  fleshy  part  of  the  leg  is  tender. 
Put  them  in  a  bowl  or  deep  dish,  take  off  the  second 
shell,  remove  the  sand  bag  and  gall  bladder,  and  cut  off 
the  spongy  part.  Cut  up  the  meat,  season  it  with  salt, 
pepper,  cayenne  and  mace,  thicken  with  butter  and 
flour,  and  cook.  Just  before  serving  put  in  a  gill  of 
sherry  wine  for  every  terrapin,  and  pour  all  over  hot 
buttered  toast. 


34 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


GOLD  MEATS  AND  HOW  TO  SERVE 
THEM 


TO  SERVE  PICKLED  OYSTERS 

Take  them  from  the  pickle  jar,  put  them  into  a  glass 
dish,  and  ornament  it  with  the  tender,  delicate  leaves 
of  celery  and  parsley.  Serve  with  bread  and  butter 
sandwiches. 

TO  SERVE  MEAT  OR  CHICKEN  PIE 

Lay  a  fringed  napkin  in  a  waiter  or  plate  larger  than 
the  dish  in  which  the  pie  is  baked;  set  the  pie  on  it; 
turn  up  the  edges  of  the  napkin  against  it,  and  put 
sprigs  of  parsley  or  delicate  green  leaves  of  celery  on 
the  edge  of  the  plate  to  keep  the  napkin  in  place. 

A  NICE  WAY  TO  SERVE  COLD  MEAT 

Cut  cold  roast  beef  in  slices,  put  gravy  enough  to 
cover  them,  add  two  tablespoonfuls  of  wine  or  catsup. 
If  there  is  not  enough  gravy,  make  more  by  putting  hot 
water  and  a  good  bit  of  butter,  with  a  spoonful  of 
browned  flour.  Let  it  stew  gently.  If  liked,  a  sliced 
leek  with  a  bunch  of  parsley  may  be  added.  Serve 
mashed  potatoes  with  it.  This  is  equal  to  beef  a  la 
mode. 

GLAZING  FOR  TONGUE,  HAMS,  ETC. 

Boil  a  shin  of  beef  and  a  knuckle  of  veal  for  twelve 
hours  in  three  or  four  quarts  of  water.  Put  in  spices, 
herbs,  and  vegetables,  the  same  as  for  soup;  keep  it 
boiling  till  it  is  reduced  to  a  quart,  then  strain  through 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


35 


a  sieve  and  put  away  for  use.  This  makes  fine  gravies, 
and  is  extremely  useful  to  finish  off  baked  hams, 
tongues,  and  cold  roasts. 

BRAISED  TONGUE  WITH  ASPIC  JELLY 

Boil  the  tongue  until  tender,  then  place  it  in  a  stew- 
pan  with  two  onions,  a  head  of  celery,  four  cloves,  and 
salt  and  pepper ;  cover  it  with  the  liquor  it  was  boiled 
in;  add  to  it  a  glass  of  brandy,  a  tablespoonful  of  sugar, 
a  blade  of  mace,  a  bunch  of  thyme,  and  a  bunch  of  pars¬ 
ley.  Let  it  simmer  gently  for  two  hours.  Take  out 
the  tongue,  strain  the  liquor  it  was  boiled  in,  and  add 
to  it  a  box  of  Cox’s  gelatine  which  has  been  soaked  in 
a  goblet  of  cold  water.  Heat  it  and  pour  over  the 
tongue.  Serve  cold. 

SEASONING  FOR  SAUSAGE  MEAT 

Chop  up  and  run  your  sausage  meat  through  the  cut¬ 
ter,  and  to  every  pound  of  the  ground  meat,  allow  a  ta¬ 
blespoonful  of  salt,  a  teaspoonful  of  mixed  black  and 
red  pepper,  a  quarter  of  a  teaspoonful  of  saltpetre,  and 
a  half  cup  of  sage  and  sweet  marjoram.  If  you  prefer 
it  you  may  substitute  for  the  sage  some  thyme  and 
summer  savory. 

SEASONING  FOR  STUFFING  VEAL,  PIG  OR  TURKEY 

When  much  seasoning  is  required  it  is  well  to  keep 
it  prepared  on  hand.  It  should  always  be  kept  well 
stopped.  Dry  a  pound  of  salt;  grind  an  ounce  of  white 
or  black  pepper ;  dry  and  powder  two  ounces  of  thyme 
and  one  of  sweet  marjoram;  grate  one  ounce  of  nutmeg, 
and  mix  with  half  a  pound  of  bread  crumbs  dried  in  a 


36 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


slow  oven,  three  eggs,  a  quarter  of  a  pound  of  butter 
or  suet,  and  a  cup  of  finely  chopped  parsley.- 

LIVER  AND  HAM  FORCEMEAT  FOR  STUFFING 

Take  a  calf’s  liver,  or  the  livers  of  three  or  four  tur¬ 
keys,  or  geese;  lay  them  in  cold  water,  till  ready  to 
use  them ;  cut  with  them  the  same  quantity  of  fat  ham 
or  bacon;  throw  them  into  a  saucepan,  and  let  them 
fry  a  good  brown;  season  with  salt,  pepper,  spices, 
chopped  mushrooms,  parsley  and  three  shallots. 
When  soft,  chop  them  fine,  or  else  pass  them  through 
a  sausage  grinder.  This  recipe  can  be  used  for  raised 
pies,  or  as  an  addition  to  turkey  stuffing. 

AROMATIC  SPICES  FOR  SEASONING  MEAT  PIES,  ETC. 

Take  an  ounce  each  of  mace  and  nutmeg,  two  ounces 
of  cloves,  two  of  pepper  corns  (whole  pepper  will  do), 
marjoram  and  thyme,  each  one  ounce,  bay  leaves  half 
an  ounce.  Dry  the  herbs  well  first ;  put  the  spices  and 
herbs  in  a  paper  closely  folded,  to  keep  in  the  aroma, 
and  place  them  in  a  slow  oven  to  dry  for  an  hour,  or 
two ;  then  pound  and  sift  them,  through  a  sieve.  Cork 
tightly. 

TRUFFLES  AND  CHESTNUT  STUFFING  FOR  A  PIG 

Many  persons  like  truffles  for  stuffing  for  a  roast 
pig ;  they  should  be  mixed  with  fat  bacon,  livers  of  veal 
or  fowl,  sweet  herbs,  pepper,  salt  and  butter.  Chest¬ 
nut  stuffing  is  prepared  by  roasting  sixty  chestnuts. 
Remove  their  hulls  while  hot,  and  pound  them  fine, 
add  four  ounces  of  butter,  run  this  through  a  sieve, 
and  add  to  it  a  few  green  onions,  or  chives,  sweet  basil, 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


37 


parsley  and  thyme;  grate  in  a  nutmeg,  put  in  pepper 
and  salt,  and  bind  it  with  three  eggs.  Stuff  the  pig 
with  it  and  serve  with  tomato  sauce. 

LIVER  AND  TRUFFLE  STUFFING  FOR  A  PIG  OR  TURKEY 

Pare  and  cut  into  small  pieces  a  pound  of  truffles,  put 
them  into  a  stewpan  with  a  large  spoonful  of  butter, 
one-half  pound  of  fat  bacon,  chopped  very  fine;  add  a 
spoonful  of  black  pepper,  a  clove  of  garlic,  a  little  salt, 
a  bunch  of  sweet  basil  and  thyme,  dried  and  powdered ; 
add  also  half  a  pound  of  nice  veal  liver,  boiled  and 
grated.  Set  this  all  on  the  fire,  let  it  cook  until  the 
truffles  are  soft,  then  mash  with  a  wooden  spoon;  take 
it  off  to  cool  it,  and  stuff  the  pig  with  the  forcemeat. 
Baste  the  pig  with  sweet  oil,  which  is  better  than  but¬ 
ter.  It  is  supposed  the  pig  comes  from  the  butchers  all 
ready  for  stuffing  and  baking.  If  the  stuffing  is  desired 
for  a  turkey,  add  a  quarter  of  a  pound  of  bread  crumbs 
and  two  beaten  eggs,  and  baste  the  turkey  with  butter, 
instead  of  oil. 

NICE  FORCEMEAT'  FOR  STUFFINGS,  ETC. 

Take  equal  quantities  of  cold  chicken,  veal  and  beef ; 
shred  small  and  mix  together ;  season  with  pepper,  salt, 
sweet  herbs,  and  a  little  nutmeg,  i.  e.,  if  intended  for 
white  meat  or  anything  delicately  flavored,  but  if 
meant  for  a  savory  dish  add  a  little  minced  ham,  and 
garlic;  pound  or  chop  this  very  fine  (it  is  well,  and 
saves  trouble,  to  run  it  through  a  sausage  chopper), 
and  make  it  in  a  paste  with  two  raw  eggs,  some  butter, 
marrow  or  drippings;  stuff  your  joint,  or  poultry, 
and  if  there  is  some  not  used,  roll  it  round  the  balls, 
flour  them  and  fry  in  boiling  lard.  This  is  a  nice  gar¬ 
nish  for  a  side  dish. 


38 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


SAUCES  FOR  MEATS  AND  GAME 


NO.  lr — DUCK  SAUCE 

Boil  six  large  onions;  change  the  water  two  or 
three  times,  while  it  is  boiling,  which  takes  away  the 
strong  taste.  When  soft,  chop  and  pnt  them  in  a 
saucepan  with  two  large  spoonfuls  of  butter,  a  little 
pepper  and  salt;  now  add  either  mushroom  catsup,  a 
cup  of  vinegar  or  a  cup  of  wine,  whichever  is  preferred. 

NO.  2. — BROWN  ONION  SAUCE  FOR  POULTRY,  ETC. 

Slice  three  onions  after  peeling  them;  fry  them  a 
bright  brown  in  a  spoonful  of  butter;  sprinkle  a  little 
flour  in,  and  let  it  brown  also;  add  salt,  pepper,  and 
also  sage,  if  for  goose  or  duck,  and  parsley  and  thyme 
if  for  chickens  or  roast  meat;  add  a  cup  of  the  liquor 
in  which  the  fowl  was  cooked,  let  it  boil  up  and  add  a 
tablespoonful  of  catsup. 

NO.  3. - MUSHROOM  SAUCE 

Peel  and  wash  the  mushrooms,  cut  them  in  small 
pieces,  and  put  them  in  a  saucepan;  cover  them  with 
water,  and  let  them  boil  soft ;  then  stir  in  butter,  mixed 
in  flour,  until  it  is  thick  enough  to  form  a  nice  sauce ; 
add  pepper  and  salt. 

NO.  4. - MINT  SAUCE  FOR  SPRING  LAMB 

Wash  carefully  a  cup  of  tender  green  spearmint, 
chop  it  fine,  and  mix  with  it  half  a  cup  of  sugar  and  a 
cup  of  good  vinegar. 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


39 


NO.  5. - WHITE  ONION  SAUCE 

Peel  and  boil  six  white  onions,  and  when  tender  pour 
off  the  water ;  chop  the  onions  small,  and  add  to  them  a 
cup  of  hot  milk,  a  large  spoonful  of  butter,  and  pepper 
and  salt  to  taste.  Thicken  with  a  little  flour  if  pre¬ 
ferred. 

NO.  6. — TOMATO  SAUCE,  PLAIN 

Peel  and  slice  twelve  tomatoes,  pick  out  the  seeds; 
add  three  pounded  crackers,  salt  and  pepper;  stir 
twenty  minutes  and  serve. 

NO.  7. - CRANBERRY  SAUCE 

Stew  cranberries  till  soft;  when  soft,  stir  in  sugar; 
scald  a  few  minutes  and  strain,  or  not,  just  as  you 
please ;  it  is  good  either  way. 

NO.  8. — SALAD  SAUCE  OR  DRESSING  FOR  LETTUCE 

Take  the  yolks  of  two  hard-boiled  eggs,  rub  them  to 
a  paste  in  a  bowl  with  a  tablespoonful  of  mustard  and 
one  of  sweet  cream ;  add  gradually  two  tablespoonfuls 
of  sweet  oil;  when  well  mixed  add  the  yolk  of  a  raw 
egg,  to  give  the  paste  a  delicate  smoothness;  a  little 
salt,  a  spoonful  of  sugar,  and  one  tablespoon  and  a  half 
of  fine  vinegar. 

NO.  9. - SAUCE  PIQUANTE  FOR  COLD  MEAT 

Slice  two  onions,  fry  them  in  butter ;  put  them  in  a 
stewpan  with  a  carrot,  some  sweet  herbs,  such  as  dried 
thyme  or  marjoram,  two  eschalots,  some  parsley  and  a 
clove  of  garlic;  dredge  in  a  spoonful  of  flour.  When 
the  carrot  is  perfectly  done,  mash  it  in  the  stewpan  with 
a  wooden  spoon,  and  when  smooth  add  to  it  a  cup  of 


40 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


soup  stock.  When  this  boils  up,  throw  in  a  cup  of 
strong  vinegar.  Add  salt  and  pepper,  and  strain. 


NO.  10. — BUTTER  AND  FLOUR  SAUCE  OR  WHITE  SAUCE 

Mix  a  tablespoonful  of  butter  and  one  of  flour;  mix 
over  the  fire,  with  a  cup  of  cold  water,  stirring  all  the 
time.  When  this  boils,  take  a  quarter  of  a  pound  of 
fresh  butter,  if  for  a  number  of  guests,  and  stir  in  the 
butter  quickly,  adding  a  cup  of  cold  water  by  degrees, 
to  keep  the  butter  from  oiling ;  finish  with  the  juice  of 
a  lemon,  and  strain.  It  must  be  served  hot,  and  made 
only  a  few  moments  before  it  is  wanted.  It  gets  oily  if 
kept  long.  Add  a  spoonful  of  chopped  parsley. 

NO.  11. - CAPER  SAUCE  FOR  BOILED  MUTTON,  ETC.,  ETC. 

Take  half  a  pint  of  butter  sauce  and  add  two  table¬ 
spoonfuls  of  capers  and  a  little  salt. 


NO.  12. - PARSLEY  AND  BUTTER  SAUCE 

Take  half  a  pint  of  butter  sauce  No.  10,  and  add  half 
a  cup  of  chopped  parsley  and  the  juice  of  one  lemon. 
Pour  hot  water  on  the  parsley  before  chopping. 


NO.  13. — LEMON  SAUCE  FOR  FISH 

To  half  a  pint  of  butter  sauce  No.  10,  add  the  juice 
of  a  lemon  and  another  lemon  sliced;  take  out  the 
seeds,  and  let  all  boil  together.  This  is  good  with 
broiled  Spanish  mackerel  or  pompano,  also  with 
broiled  fish. 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


41 


NO.  14. — SAUCE  A  l'aURORE,  FOR  FISH 

Pound  the  spawn  of  a  lobster  very  smooth,  with  a 
small  piece  of  fresh  butter,  and  press  it  through  a  sieve 
in  the  white  sauce  and  a  large  spoonful  of  lemon  juice, 
and  set  it  over  a  clear  fire  to  simmer  for  a  minute  or 
two,  taking  care  it  does  not  boil. 

NO.  15. — SAUCE  FROIDE 

Mince  quite  fine  some  parsley,  chervil,  tarragon, 
chives  and  burnet ;  mix  them  in  five  or  six  tablespoon¬ 
fuls  of  oil,  or  three  yolks  of  hard-boiled  eggs  rubbed 
vdown  smooth ;  add  two  tablespoonfuls  of  vinegar,  some 
made  mustard,  salt  and  pepper;  beat  all  together  until 
it  is  smooth  and  thick,  and  serve  in  a  sauce-boat.  A 
good  sauce  for  fish. 

NO.  16. - CHESTNUT  SAUCE  FOR  TURKEY  OR  FOWLS 

Take  half  a  pint  of  veal  stock ;  half  a  pound  of  chest¬ 
nuts  ;  peel  of  half  a  lemon ;  a  cupful  of  cream  or  milk ; 
a  very  little  cayenne  and  salt. 

Remove  the  dark  shell  of  the  chestnuts,  and  scald 
them  until  the  inner  skin  can  be  taken  off.  Then  put 
them  into  the  saucepan  with  the  stock,  the  lemon  peel 
cut  very  thin,  some  cayenne  and  salt.  Let  it  simmer  till 
the  chestnuts  are  quite  soft.  Rub  it  through  a  sieve; 
add  the  seasoning  and  cream,  and  let  it  simmer  for  a 
few  minutes,  taking  care  it  does  not  boil,  and  stirring 
constantly. 

NO.  17.' — WHITE  CELERY  SAUCE  FOR  BOILED  POULTRY 

Take  six  heads  of  celery,  cut  off  the  green  tops,  slice 
the  remainder  into  small  bits  and  boil  in  half  a  pint  of 
water  until  it  is  tender ;  mix  three  teaspoonfuls  of  flour 


42 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


smoothly,  with  a  little  milk.  Add  six  spoonfuls  more  of 
milk,  stir  it  in;  add  a  little  salt  and  a  small  piece  of 
butter.  On  boiling  take  off. 

NO.  17  1-2. - CELERY  PUREE  EOR  TURKEY 

Chop  up  six  or  eight  heads  of  celery,  boil  them  a  few 
minutes ;  drain  and  put  them  in  a  saucepan,  with  half 
a  pound  of  butter,  some  white  soup  stock,  a  little  sugar, 
pepper  and  salt;  cook  till  soft,  then  strain  it  through 
a  sieve,  heat  it  again  and  add  a  cup  of  milk  or  cream. 

NO.  18. - WHITE  CUCUMBER  SAUCE  FOR  MEATS 

Take  four  or  five  cucumbers ;  three-quarters  of  a  pint 
of  veal  stock ;  the  yolks  of  three  eggs ;  a  little  cayenne 
pepper  and  salt. 

Peel  and  take  out  the  seeds  from  the  cucumbers,  cut 
them  into  very  small  pieces  and  put  them  into  a  sauce¬ 
pan  with  the  stock  and  seasoning,  and  simmer  it  slow¬ 
ly  until  they  are  tender.  Then  stir  in  the  yolks  of  the 
eggs  well  beaten.  Make  it  very  hot,  but  do  not  let  it 
boil;  and  serve  it  up  quickly. 

NO.  19. — EGGS  AND  BUTTER  SAUCE 

Boil  six  eggs  hard;  when  cold,  peel  them  and  put 
them  into  a  cup  of  butter,  melted;  mix  with  a  little 
flour,  make  it  hot,  stir  in  pepper  and  salt.  Some  peo¬ 
ple  like  lemon,  and  many  require  walnut  catsup.  This 
is  left  to  personal  taste. 

NO.  20. — WINE  SAUCE  FOR  VENISON  OR  MUTTON 

Take  from  the  stock  pot  a  pint  of  the  soup;  let  it  boil 
down  to  half  a  pint ;  season  with  a  dozen  cloves,  a  tea¬ 
spoon  of  salt,  and  a  little  pepper ;  then  stir  in  a  cup  of 
wine,  or  of  currant  jelly. 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


43 


NO.  21. - SAVORY  JELLY  FOR  COLD  TURKEY  OR  MEAT 

Put  in  the  pot  two  pounds  of  beef ;  if  you  have  veal 
or  beef  bones,  break  them  and  throw  them  in  also,  but 
they  require  longer  boiling  to  dissolve  the  gelatine. 
Put  in  half  a  pound  of  sweet  ham  or  bacon,  add  all  the 
sweet  herbs,  such  as  thyme,  basil,  parsley  and  mar¬ 
joram;  last  of  all,  salt  and  pepper  to  taste.  Boil  for 
three  or  four  hours.  When  it  is  sufficiently  boiled, 
take  off,  strain,  and  put  away  to  cool.  Take  off  all  the 
fat  and  sediment,  and  clarify  by  throwing  into  it  the 
whites  and  shells  of  three  eggs;  add  three  blades  of 
mace  and  a  cup  of  wine  or  lemon  juice.  Place  it  again 
on  the  fire,  let  it  boil  a  few  times,  and  strain  it  through 
a  jelly-bag.  When  well  made  it  is  delicious  with  cold 
turkey,  and  under  the  name  of  “ aspic  jelly,’ ’  figures  in 
the  finest  French  cooking. 

NO.  22. - TOMATO  SAUCE,  RICH  AND  VERY  FINE 

Take  a  dozen  large  ripe  tomatoes,  pick  off  the  stalks ; 
extract  the  seeds  and  watery  juice  by  squeezing  them  in 
the  hand.  Place  the  pulp  in  a  stewpan  with  four 
ounces,  or  a  quarter  of  a  pound,  of  raw  ham,  cut  into 
cubes ;  a  dozen  small  eschalots  and  a  bunch  of  thyme  or 
parsley.  Throw  in  a  little  butter,  and  fry  all  gently  un¬ 
til  the  tomatoes  soften  sufficiently  to  be  passed  through 
a  strainer.  Mix  this  puree  with  a  cupful  of  good  soup- 
stock  or  other  soup;  add  the  strained  juice  of  the  toma¬ 
toes,  and  let  boil  fifteen  minutes,  then  set  it  by  to 
clarify.  Serve  it  hot.  When  canned  tomatoes  are  used, 
omit  the  first  directions. 

NO.  23. — BROWN  OYSTER  SAUCE 
Prepare  this  just  as  white  oyster  sauce  (No.  24) ; 
only  you  use  brown  gravy  instead  of  cream,  as  in  white 
oyster  sauce. 


44 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


NO.  24.; — WHITE  OYSTER  SAUCE 

Put  three  dozen  oysters  in  a  stewpan,  without  their 
juice,  which  save;  mix  with  the  oysters,  half  a  pound  of 
butter,  thickened  with  flour  (work  it  well  with  a 
spoon) ;  season  with  cayenne  pepper  and  salt,  and  thin 
with  a  cup  of  milk  or  cream,  and  a  cup  of  oyster  juice. 
Boil  altogether  for  ten  minutes. 

NO.  25.— OYSTER  SAUCE  FOR  BOILED  TURKEY 

Put  three  dozen  oysters  in  a  stewpan;  save  their 
liquor  in  a  howl ;  mix  with  the  oysters  half  a  pound  of 
butter  and  flour,  worked  together,  and  season  with 
cayenne  pepper  and  salt ;  thin  this  now  with  the  liquor 
from  the  oysters  and  a  cup  of  cream.  Let  it  boil  ten 
minutes  and  serve  on  the  turkey. 

NO.  26. — SAUCE  PIQUANT 

Put  a  large  spoonful  of  sweet  butter  in  a  stewpan, 
slice  into  it  two  onions,  two  carrots,  a  little  thyme,  two 
cloves,  two  eschalots  and  a  bunch  of  parsley;  add,  if 
liked,  a  clove  of  garlic.  Let  them  cook  until  the  carrot 
is  soft,  then  shake  in  a  little  flour;  let  it  cook  five  min¬ 
utes  more,  and  add  a  cup  of  beef  or  veal  stock,  and  half 
a  cup  of  strong  vinegar;  skim  and  strain  through  a 
sieve.  Add  salt  and  pepper  when  boiling.  This  is  nice 
on  cold  meat. 

NO.  27. - STOCK  FOR  SOUPS  OR  GRAVIES 

Break  the  bones  of  a  knuckle  of  veal,  add  to  it  a  pound 
of  lean  beef  and  a  half  pound  of  lean  ham ;  stew  in  two 
quarts  of  water  until  it  is  reduced  to  one.  If  for  gravy, 
add  to  it  two  carrots,  two  turnips  and  two  heads  of 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


45 


celery.  When  the  vegetables  are  soft,  strain  and  keep 
for  nse.  Water  added  to  gravies  spoils  them. 

NO.  28. - EGG  SAUCE  WITH  LEMON 

Boil  six  eggs ;  when  cold,  take  off  the  shells,  and  slice 
them  into  a  cup  of  melted  butter ;  add  pepper  and  salt, 
and  stir  constantly  while  heating.  Add  the  juice  of  a 
lemon,  or  vinegar,  or  catsup  as  preferred.  This  sauce 
is  equally  good  for  boiled  fish  or  poultry. 

NO.  29. - HORSERADISH  SAUCE 

To  a  spoonful  of  mustard  add  three  tablespoonfuls 
of  vinegar  and  a  little  salt;  if  you  have  it,  put  in  two 
spoonfuls  of  cream.  Grate  into  this  as  much  horse¬ 
radish  as  will  thicken  it;  then  mash  a  clove  of  garlic 
and  your  sauce  is  ready. 

NO.  30. - TO  KEEP  HORSERADISH 

Grate  the  root,  and  pour  strong  vinegar  over  it,  and 
bottle.  This  is  fine  for  roast  meat. 

NO.  31. - SAUCE  ROBERT 

Cut  into  small  pieces  four  large  onions ;  brown  them 
with  three  ounces  of  butter  and  a  spoonful  of  flour. 
When  yellow-brown,  pour  on  them  half  a  pint  of  veal, 
or  beef  gravy,  or  soup ;  let  all  simmer  for  half  an  hour; 
season  with  salt  and  pepper,  and  at  the  moment  of 
serving,  add  a  dessertspoonful  of  made  mustard. 

NO.  32.J — PIQUANT  TOMATO  SAUCE 

Mash  half  a  dozen  ripe  tomatoes  (pick  out  the  seeds), 
put  them  in  a  stewpan  with  sliced  onions,  and  a  little 


46 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


meat  gravy ;  let  them  simmer,  till  nearly  dry,  then  add 
half  a  pint  of  brown  gravy,  left  of  cold  meat,  and  let  it 
cook  twenty  minutes.  Strain  and  season  with  cayenne 
pepper,  salt  and  lemon  juice.  Tarragon  vinegar  may 
be  used  instead  of  the  lemon  juice. 

NO.  33. — CREAM  SAUCE 

Put  a  quarter  of  a  pound  of  butter  in  a  stew-pan,  with 
a  small  tablespoonful  of  wheat  flour,  a  teaspoonful  of 
chopped  parsley,  and  the  same  of  young  onions,  or  es¬ 
chalots,  chopped  fine;  add  a  saltspoonful  of  salt,  and 
the  same  of  pepper,  and  a  grated  nutmeg.  Mix  these 
well  together,  then  add  a  glass  of  cream,  or  rich  milk, 
set  it  over  the  fire,  and  stir  it  with  a  silver  spoon  until 
it  is  ready  to  boil ;  if  it  is  too  thick,  add  more  milk.  This 
sauce  should  be  stirred  for  fifteen  minutes.  Extract  of 
celery  improves  it.  Serve  with  boiled  rabbits,  meat  or 
poultry. 

NO.  34. — APPLE  SAUCE 

Peel,  quarter,  and  core  some  rich,  tart  apples ;  add  a 
very  little  water,  cover  and  set  them  over  the  fire ;  when 
tender,  mash  them  smooth,  and  serve  with  roasted 
pork,  goose,  or  any  other  gross  meat. 

NO.  35. — CRANBERRY  SAUCE 

Wash  and  pick  a  quart  of  cranberries ;  put  them  into 
a  stew-pan,  with  a  teacupful  of  water,  and  the  same  of 
brown  sugar;  cover  the  pan  and  let  them  stew  gently 
for  one  hour;  then  mash  them  smooth  with  a  silver 
spoon;  dip  a  quart  bowl  in  cold  water,  pour  in  the 
stewed  cranberries,  and  leave  till  cold.  Serve  with 
roast  pork,  ham,  turkey  or  goose. 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


47 


NO.  36. - SAVORY  SAUCE  FOR  A  ROAST  GOOSE 

A  tablespoonful  of  made  mustard,  half  a  teaspoonful 
of  cayenne  pepper,  and  three  spoonfuls  of  port  wine. 
When  mixed,  pour  this  (hot)  into  the  body  of  the  goose 
before  sending  it  up.  It  wonderfully  improves  the 
sage  and  onions. 

NO.  37. — FRIED  PEACHES  FOR  SAUCE 

Take  peaches,  not  fully  ripe,  wash  and  wipe  them; 
then  cut  them  in  slices  a  quarter  of  an  inch  thick,  and 
fry  in  the  pan,  after  pork.  Serve  with  the  meat.  This 
is  a  South  Carolina  dish. 

NO.  38. - FRIED  APPLES  AS  A  RELISH 

Wash  fine,  fair  apples  without  paring;  cut  them  in 
slices  an  eighth  of  an  inch  thick,  and  fry  in  hot  lard, 
or  pork  fat.  Serve  with  fried  pork. 

NO.  39. - RICH  LEMON  SAUCE,  FOR  PUDDINGS 

Boil  a  fresh  lemon  in  plenty  of  water,  until  a  straw 
will  penetrate  it,  then  cut  it  in  slices,  and  each  slice  in 
quarters;  add  a  teacupful  of  sugar,  and  the  same  of 
butter,  with  a  large  teaspoonful  of  wheat  flour  worked 
into  it;  put  all  together  into  a  stew-pan,  and  stir  in 
gradually  half  a  pint  of  boiling  water ;  keep  it  over  the 
fire  for  ten  minutes,  stirring  it  all  the  time,  then  serve 
with  half  a  nutmeg  grated  over. 

NO.  40.; — HARD  SAUCE 

Beat  a  quarter  of  a  pound  of  butter  to  a  cream,  then 
stir  into  it  half  a  pound  of  pulverized  white  sugar,  and 


48 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


beat  it  until  it  is  light.  A  wineglass  of  wine  or  brandy 
may  be  added.  Grate  nutmeg  over  it.  Put  it  on  ice  if 
the  weather  is  warm. 

NO.  41. — TO  KEEP  HORSERADISH  FOR  SAUCE 

Grate  a  quantity  in  season,  and  keep  it  in  bottles 
filled  with  strong  vinegar.  A  clove  of  garlic  added  to 
each  bottle  is  an  improvement. 

NO.  42. - TO  MAKE  GOOD  VINEGAR;  NO.  1 

Mix  a  quart  of  molasses  in  three  gallons  of  rain  wa¬ 
ter;  add  to  this,  one  pint  of  sharp  yeast.  Let  it  ferment 
and  stand  four  weeks ;  you  will  then  have  good  vinegar. 

NO.  43. - ANOTHER  WAY  TO  MAKE  VINEGAR;  NO.  2 

To  make  good  pickles  or  sauces  of  several  kinds, 
good  vinegar  is  required.  To  a  gallon  of  water  put  two 
pounds  of  coarse  brown  sugar;  boil  and  skim  it  for  half 
an  hour.  Put  it  in  a  tub  or  jar  to  ferment ;  add  to  it  in 
the  tub  a  slice  of  raised  wheat-bread  soaked  in  yeast. 
It  can  be  bottled  off  or  put  in  a  cask  in  a  week  or  two, 
but  must  be  left  unstopped,  and  the  bung  covered  with 
muslin  to  keep  out  insects. 

NO.  44. — TO  MAKE  GOOD  VINEGAR  FOR  PICKLES 

To  a  gallon  of  whisky  add  four  pounds  of  brown 
sugar,  a  cup  of  yeast,  and  seven  gallons  of  water.  Put 
it  into  a  demijohn  or  keg.  If  you  set  the  vinegar  in 
April,  it  will  be  good  in  November  to  pickle  with. 
Cover  the  mouth  of  the  vessel  with  muslin,  to  keep  out 
flies  or  insects,  which  trouble  and  sometimes  ruin  vine¬ 
gar  while  making.  When  sharp  and  clear,  bottle  it. 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


49 


NO.  45. — TO  MAKE  GOOD  AND  CHEAP  VINEGAB 

Take  three  quarts  of  molasses,  add  to  it  eight  gallons 
of  rain  water ;  turn  the  mixture  into  a  clean  cask,  shake 
it  well  two  or  three  times,  throw  in  a  few  spoonfuls  of 
good  yeast,  or  two  yeast  cakes ;  place  the  cask  in  a 
warm  place,  and  in  ten  days  throw  in  it  a  sheet  of 
common  brown  paper,  smeared  with  molasses ;  it  should 
be  torn  into  narrow  strips.  This  paper  seems  necessary 
to  form  mother,  in  making  vinegar,  unless  you  use 
whisky  to  commence  the  fermentation  j  then  paper  is 
not  necessary. 


50 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


ENTREES 


KIDNEY  AND  MUSHROOM  STEW 

Cut  the  kidneys  into  slices,  wash  and  dry  them  care¬ 
fully  ;  pepper  and  salt  them,  roll  them  in  flour,  and  fry 
in  butter  till  of  a  delicate  brown  color.  Pour  some 
plain  beef  stock,  or  beef  gravy,  in  the  pan;  add  a 
chopped  onion,  and  stew  for  half  an  hour ;  then  put  in  a 
cupful  of  mushrooms,  and  cook  for  fifteen  minutes. 
Mushroom  catsup  will  serve  as  a  substitute.  Use  one- 
half  the  quantity  of  catsup. 

STEWED  LAMB  CHOPS  WITH  GREEN  PEAS 

Season  the  chops  with  pepper  and  salt ;  roll  in  flour 
and  fry  to  a  pale  brown.  When  done,  if  the  chops  are 
very  fat,  pour  some  of  it  into  the  stock-pot  and  cover 
the  chops  with  boiling  water.  Parboil  a  pint  of  green 
peas;  add  them  to  the  chops,  together  with  a  large 
spoonful  of  sweet  butter.  Dredge  in  a  spoonful  of 
flour,  and  let  all  stew  gently  for  half  an  hour. 

IRISH  STEW 

Take  from  one  to  three  pounds  of  loin  of  mutton,  or 
ribs  of  beef ;  cut  it  into  chops ;  add  by  weight  as  many 
white  potatoes,  sliced,  as  there  is  beef.  Throw  in  from 
two  to  six  chopped  onions,  according  to  size,  some  pep¬ 
per  and  salt,  and  a  large  spoonful  of  butter  to  each 
pound  of  meat.  Let  all  stew  gently  for  two  hours  and 
serve  with  boiled  rice  or  macaroni. 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


51 


PIGEON  STEW 

Pick  and  wash  the  pigeons,  stuff  them  with  bread 
crumbs,  parsley,  pepper,  salt  and  butter  mixed;  dust 
with  flour,  and  put  into  a  pan  to  brown.  Add  butter 
and  a  little  soup-stock  or  gravy.  Stew  gently  until 
tender.  Before  dishing  add  a  glass  of  wine  if  ap¬ 
proved,  if  not,  a  little  more  stock,  if  the  gravy  has  be¬ 
come  too  thick. 


TRIPE  WITH  MUSHROOMS 

Clean  and  parboil  tripe  before  cooking.  When  it  is 
white  and  tender,  cut  it  into  pieces  suitable  to  fry; 
pepper  and  salt  it,  and  dip  it  in  flour  or  rolled  cracker, 
then  drop  it  into  hot  bacon  fat.  When  browned  on  both 
sides,  take  up  and  make  a  gravy  of  some  of  the  fat  in 
which  it  was  fried,  a  little  flour,  and  a  wineglass  of  good 
vinegar.  Pour  this  around  the  tripe  and  serve  with 
mushrooms. 


STEWED  TRIPE,  PLAIN 

Cut  a  pound  of  tripe  in  long  narrow  pieces,  lay  it  in 
a  stew-pan  and  add  a  cup  of  milk,  or  milk  and  water, 
a  piece  of  butter  as  large  as  a  hen’s  egg,  a  tablespoon¬ 
ful  of  flour  sifted  in,  a  bunch  of  parsley,  and  a  green 
onion,  if  desired.  Cook  slowly  for  nearly  two  hours. 

TO  FRY  TRIPE  BROWN 

It  must  be  thoroughly  boiled  and  tender,  or  no  frying 
will  make  it  good.  Let  it  be  perfectly  cold,  cut  it  in 
pieces,  roll  each  piece  in  salt,  pepper  and  flour,  and 
fry  brown  in  bacon  grease.  Frying  tripe  in  lard  makes 
it  tasteless.  When  nicely  brown  take  it  up,  dredge  a 


52 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


little  flour  in  the  gravy,  and  put  in  a  half  cup  of 
vinegar.  Serve  in  a  sauceboat,  or  pour  over  the  tripe 
as  preferred. 

SCALLOPS  OF  MUTTON,  WITH  MUSHROOMS 

“Sautez,”  or  fry  the  scallops  brown,  then  pour  off 
the  fat,  add  a  glass  of  wine,  a  dozen  button  mushrooms, 
three  ounces  of  truffles  cut  in  pieces,  and  a  cup  of  broth, 
or  the  stock  of  plain  soup  without  vegetables.  Simmer 
gently,  and  finish  by  adding  the  juice  of  a  lemon. 

HASHED  BEEF,  PLAIN 

Slice  some  beef  in  very  thin  pieces,  season  with  pep¬ 
per  and  salt,  and  shake  a  little  flour  over  it.  Next,  chop 
a  medium  sized  onion  and  put  it  (without  the  beef)  into 
a  stew-pan  with  a  tablespoonful  of  mushroom  or  tomato 
catsup.  Boil  for  a  few  minutes,  then  add  a  pint  of 
broth  stock,  or  gravy-soup;  boil  it  down  to  half  the 
quantity.  Five  minutes  before  serving,  throw  in  the 
cold  sliced  beef ;  let  it  boil  five  minutes  and  serve  on 
toasted  bread. 


SANDWICHES.  VERY  FINE 

Take  half  a  pound  of  nice  sweet  butter,  three  table¬ 
spoonfuls  of  mixed  mustard,  the  same  of  sweet  oil,  a  lit¬ 
tle  salt,  pepper  and  the  yolk  of  an  egg.  Put  it  over  the 
fire  and  stir  till  it  thickens ;  set  it  by  to  cool  and  chop  fine 
some  tongue  or  boiled  ham.  Cut  the  bread  thin,  then 
spread  on  the  dressing  and  over  it  put  a  layer  of  ham 
or  tongue.  Press  the  slices  of  bread  hard  together, 
trim  the  edges  and  garnish  with  curled  parsley. 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


53 


SANDWICHES  OF  VARIOUS  KINDS,  FOR  PIC-NICS 

Home-made  bread  cuts  better  for  sandwiches  than 
baker  ’s  bread,  so  if  you  wish  the  sandwiches  very  nice, 
it  is  better  to  make  a  loaf  at  home.  For  bread  and  but¬ 
ter  sandwiches,  cut  the  bread  very  thin,  spread  it  evenly 
with  sweet  butter,  and  lay  the  buttered  sides  together. 
Lay  them  in  circles  on  a  plate  and  put  parsley  on  top 
of  them.  Sandwiches  may  be  made  with  cheese  sliced 
and  placed  between  the  buttered  bread,  or  with  hard- 
boiled  eggs  sliced  or  chopped,  and  put  between.  The 
best  are  made  with  boiled  smoked  tongue  or  ham,  with 
French  mustard  spread  over  the  butter. 

TO  MAKE  FRENCH  MUSTARD 

Put  on  a  plate  an  ounce  of  the  best  mustard,  add  to  it 
salt,  a  clove  of  garlic  or  a  few  tarragon  leaves.  Mince 
the  garlic,  stir  it  in,  and  pour  on  vinegar  till  it  is  of 
the  proper  thickness  for  use. 

VEAL  HASH  FOR  BREAKFAST.  VERY  NICE 

Take  a  pint  cup  of  cold  veal  cut  small,  dredge  it  with 
a  spoonful  of  flour,  and  add  a  piece  of  butter  the  size  of 
a  hen’s  egg.  Put  all  in  a  stew-pan  with  half  a  pint  of 
water ;  cover  up  and  put  it  on  the  stove ;  let  it  simmer 
for  an  hour  at  least,  stir  it  occasionally  and  add  to  it 
some  parsley  and  sweet  herbs.  Just  before  serving  add 
a  teacup  of  milk,  and  serve  on  toasted  bread. 

PLAIN  VEAL  AND  HAM  PIE.  EASILY  MADE 

Cut  a  pound  of  veal  and  a  pound  of  ham  into  slices, 
salt  them  slightly ;  chop  a  cupful  of  mushrooms,  a  bunch 
of  parsley,  some  eschalots,  and  fry  them  lightly ;  add  to 


54 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


them  a  pint  of  soup  stock,  boil  it  together  for  five  min¬ 
utes  and  pour  it  into  the  piepan  where  you  have  placed 
your  ham  and  veal.  Put  a  dozen  hard-boiled  yolks  of 
eggs  in  among  the  contents  of  the  pie,  cover  it  with  a 
nice  paste  and  hake  it  one  hour  and  a  half. 


FRICANDELLONS  OF  COLD  VEAL  OR  MUTTON 

Mince  the  meat  very  fine,  soak  a  thick  slice  of  bread 
in  boiling  milk,  mash  it,  and  mix  it  with  the  cold  meat ; 
add  a  beaten  egg  (or  two  if  you  have  more  than  a  quar¬ 
ter  of  a  pound  of  meat),  some  chopped  parsley  and 
thyme,  a  little  grated  lemon  peel,  pepper  and  salt ;  make 
this  into  cakes,  and  fry  in  butter  or  lard.  Serve  them 
dry  on  a  serviette,  accompanied  with  a  gravy  made 
.  from  the  bones  of  the  minced  meat  which  must  be 
cooked  with  an  onion,  a  little  butter  and  flour,  and 
milk ;  when  brown  it  is  ready. 


VEAL  AND  HAM  RAISED  PIE,  OR  TIMBALE 

Lard  two  pounds  of  lean  veal  well  with  strips  of  fat 
bacon,  and  add  two  pounds  of  ham.  Line  a  deep  pan  or 
mould  with  rich  paste ;  lay  in  the  bottom  of  this  a  layer 
of  liver  forcemeat,  then  the  veal  and  ham,  and  so  on 
in  alternate  layers,  till  the  dish  is  full.  Season  between 
each  layer  with  thyme,  bay  leaf,  marjoram,  or  any  dried 
and  pounded  sweet  herbs ;  fill  up  the  hollow  places,  and 
cover  the  pan  with  paste.  Decorate  the  top  of  the  pit 
with  cut  dough  leaves ;  make  a  hole  in  the  top  to  pour  in 
the  gravy,  and  let  out  the  steam.  Egg  the  top  of  the  pie 
and  bake  it  for  three  hours ;  withdraw  it  from  the  oven, 
and  place  the  point  of  a  funnel  in  the  hole  in  the  top, 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


55 


and  pour  in  about  a  pint  of  good  gravy  or  veal  con- 
some.  This  should  be  eaten  cold.  It  will  be  jellied  all 
through  if  cooked  enough. 

VEAL,  SALAD  FOR  LUNCH 

To  a  pint  of  minced  veal  add  three  heads  of  celery. 
Pour  over  this  a  dressing  made  of  the  yolks  of  four 
hard-boiled  eggs,  a  tablespoonful  of  dry  mustard,  and  a 
large  spoonful  of  olive  oil.  When  this  dressing  is  well 
beaten  and  perfectly  smooth,  add  to  it  slowly  (to  keep 
from  curdling)  four  tablespoonfuls  of  good  wine  vine¬ 
gar,  a  little  cayenne  and  salt.  Garnish  the  dish  with 
parsley  and  celery  leaves. 

VEAL  SWEETBREADS,  WITH  TOMATOES 

Set  over  the  fire  two  quarts  of  ripe  tomatoes ;  stew 
slowly,  and  strain  through  a  coarse  sieve.  Add  to  them 
four  or  five  sweetbreads,  well  trimmed  and  soaked  in 
warm  water;  season  with  salt  and  cayenne  pepper. 
Thicken  with  three  spoonfuls  of  flour  and  a  quarter  of  a 
pound  of  butter,  mixed ;  cook  slowly  till  done,  and  just 
before  serving  stir  in  the  beaten  yolks  of  three  eggs. 

VEAL  LOAF  FOR  LUNCH  OR  TEA 

Mince  cold  roast  veal  as  fine  as  possible ;  add  a  fourth 
part  as  much  fat  ham,  a  cup  of  grated  bread,  or  cracker 
crumbs,  and  two  well-beaten  eggs  to  bind  the  crumbs 
together;  season  with  salt,  and  pepper  (black  and  red), 
mix  and  form  it  into  a  loaf.  Glaze  the  outside  with 
yolk  of  egg,  and  sprinkle  over  it  fine  cracker  crumbs. 
Bake  half  an  hour,  and  serve  with  gravy  made  from 
the  bones,  etc.,  of  the  veal.  Serve  the  gravy  hot. 


56 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


MINCED  VEAL  AND  POACHED  EGGS 

One  pound  of  cold  veal  chopped  very  fine.  Boil  half 
a  pint  of  sauce  till  it  begins  to  thicken  or  glaze;  then 
add  a  cup  of  cream  and  the  minced  veal ;  season  with 
pepper  and  salt.  When  dished  put  six  poached  eggs 
around  it,  alternately  with  slices  of  red  tongue  or  ham. 
This  is  a  nice  breakfast  dish,  and  uses  to  advantage  the 
cold  meats  from  the  day  previous. 

CALF  OB  PIG  BBAINS  FRIED 

Wash  the  brains  in  salt  water,  and  wipe  dry  and  dip 
in  wheat  flour  or  in  beaten  egg  and  then  in  bread 
crumbs.  Fry  in  butter  or  lard,  and  season  with  pepper, 
salt  and  lemon  sliced. 

calves'  and  pigs'  feet  fried  in  batter 

Wash  and  cook  the  feet  tender,  the  day  before  using. 
When  wanted,  wash  and  roll  them  in  a  little  flour  to  dry. 
Set  them  by,  and  make  a  batter  of  flour,  eggs,  milk,  and 
a  little  salt  and  pepper  (one  egg  is  sufficient  to  two 
feet) ;  take  out  the  largest  bones  and  roll  the  feet  in  bat¬ 
ter,  or  lay  them  in  a  pan  with  hot  lard,  and  pour  the  bat¬ 
ter  over  them.  Fry  a  delicate  brown  and  serve  on  toast. 

calf's  head  boiled  or  baked 

Have  a  head  nicely  cleaned,  and  soak  it  in  salt  and 
water  to  make  it  look  white.  Remove  the  eyes.  Take 
out  the  tongue  and  salt  it.  Of  the  brains  make  a  sepa¬ 
rate  dish.  To  boil  the  head  put  it  in  a  pot  of  lukewarm 
water  and  boil  till  very  tender.  Serve  with  sauce  made 
of  butter,  flour  and  water,  some  lemon  juice  and  toma¬ 
toes.  If  to  bake,  dredge  flour  over  it,  put  on  bits  of 
butter,  season  with  pepper,  salt,  and  sweet  herbs,  set 
in  a  hot  oven  and  baste  with  the  water  in  which  it  was 
boiled. 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


57 


POTTED  CALF’S  HEAD 

Boil  a  calf’s  head  or  half  a  beef’s  head  with  a  cow- 
heel  until  very  tender.  When  done,  pick  out  all  the 
bones  and  chop  the  meat  and  tendons  very  fine ;  strain 
the  liquor  they  were  boiled  in,  and  set  it  away  to  cool ; 
skim  off  the  fat  and  pour  the  jelly  over  the  meat. 
Season  with  a  teaspoonful  of  black  pepper,  salt,  and 
thyme,  powdered ;  boil  all  together  for  a  few  minutes, 
and  pour  into  bowls  or  jelly  moulds.  Serve  with  pars¬ 
ley.  Add  a  little  garlic  if  the  flavor  is  liked. 

COLLARED  CALF’S  HEAD  WITH  BRAINS.  COLD  DISH 

Boil  half,  or  the  whole  calf’s  head,  as  you  require. 
Cover  it  with  water  and  let  it  simmer  for  two  hours ; 
take  it  up,  remove  the  bones,  and  put  them  back  into 
the  broth;  let  it  continue  to  stew,  adding  to  it  sage 
leaves,  and  an  onion.  Cut  the  meat  of  head  and  brains 
into  a  stew-pan,  adding  to  it  some  slices  of  ham,  pepper 
and  salt,  the  chopped  tongue  and  an  eschalot ;  let  these 
cook  two  hours.  The  brains  should  be  beaten  up  with 
two  eggs,  before  putting  them  in,  which  should  be  the 
last  thing.  Then  pour  all  in  a  mould  and  fill  up  with 
the  liquor  from  the  head,  which  should  be  boiled  to  a 
jelly. 


CURRY  OF  COLD  ROAST  FOWL 

Take  two  large  onions,  two  apples,  two  ounces  of  but¬ 
ter,  a  dessertspoonful  of  curry  powder  or  paste,  half 
pint  of  gravy  or  soup-stock,  one  spoonful  of  lemon  juice 
and  two  tomatoes. 

Fry  the  fowl  and  the  onions  in  butter  to  a  light  brown 
color;  stew  the  apples,  or  fry  them  also.  Put  all, 


58 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


onions,  apples,  gravy  and  fowl,  with  the  tomatoes  and 
lemon  juice  into  a  stewing  pan  and  let  it  stew  thirty 
minutes ;  then  serve  with  boiled  rice.  If  curry  paste  is 
used  instead  of  curry  powder,  no  lemon  is  required. 

WELSH  RAREBIT 

Cut  a  pound  of  cheese  in  slices  a  quarter  of  an  inch 
thick,  fry  them  together  five  minutes  in  butter,  then  add 
two  well-beaten  eggs,  a  little  mustard  and  pepper ;  stir 
it  up  and  send  it  to  table  hot,  on  slices  of  buttered 
bread. 

HAM  TOAST  FOR  LUNCHEON 

Beat  the  yolk  of  an  egg  with  a  tablespoonful  of  sweet 
milk;  set  it  on  the  fire  to  warm,  and  thicken  it  with 
grated  or  finely  chopped  ham;  let  it  simmer  a  few 
moments  and  pour  it  on  buttered  toast.  This  is  for  one 
person. 

WINTER  DISH  OF  BAKED  BEANS  AND  PORK 

This  is  a  very  heavy  dish,  but  nourishing,  and  it  is 
well  to  know  how  to  cook  it,  as  it  is  economical. 

Pick  the  beans,  wash  them,  and  put  them  to  soak  over 
night  in  plenty  of  water.  In  the  morning  pour  this 
water  off  and  put  the  beans  in  a  kettle  of  cold  water ; 
place  them  on  the  fire  and  let  them  simmer  till  quite 
tender.  Take  them  up  and  drain  them;  when  thor¬ 
oughly  drained,  put  them  in  a  baking  pan  with  a  large 
piece  of  salt  pork;  score  the  pork  and  lay  it  deep  in 
among  the  beans,  not  upon  them.  Pour  boiling  water 
over  them  and  bake  till  brown.  If  in  a  range,  leave 
them  in  all  night.  This  constant  change  of  water  im¬ 
proves  the  beans  very  much,  and  makes  them  less 
flatulent. 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


59 


MUTTON,  BEEF  AND  HAMS 


REMARKS  ON  BOILING  MEATS 

Meat,  whether  fresh  or  salted,  smoked  or  dried, 
should  always  be  put  on  the  fire  in  cold  water.  Dried 
meats  should  be  soaked  before  boiling.  The  delicacy 
of  meat  and  fowls  is  preserved  by  carefully  skimming 
while  they  are  boiling. 

STUFFED  HAM 

Smoked  hams  are  much  liked  stuffed  with  spices  and 
sweet  herbs,  which  the  only  kind  of  stuffing  a  salt  ham 
will  admit,  as  bread,  crackers  or  oysters  would  sour 
before  the  ham  could  be  used.  If  you  wish  to  stuff  a 
ham,  look  at  the  recipe  for  “Aromatic  Spices  for 
seasoning  Meat,  Pies,  etc. 9  9  Soak  your  ham  all  night, 
scrape  it  nicely,  and  boil  it  half  an  hour  to  make  the 
skin  tender;  then  take  it  from  the  pot,  gash  it  all  over, 
introduce  as  much  of  the  pounded  spices  as  the  incisions 
will  hold,  and  then  close  the  skin  over  the  gashes  and 
boil  in  the  same  manner,  with  vegetables  thrown  in,  as 
in  recipe  for  boiled  ham. 

BAKED  HAM 

Soak  and  clean  your  ham,  boil  it  with  onions,  cloves, 
parsley  and  sweet  herbs  until  it  is  nearly  done,  then  let 
it  cool  in  its  own  liquor ;  when  cold,  pull  off  the  skin  and 
place  the  ham  in  the  oven  gate,  with  a  little  sugar  and 
bread  crumbs  over  it  till  it  is  brown.  If  it  is  to  be  eaten 
hot,  serve  with  vegetables  and  some  acid  or  piquant 
sauce;  if  cold,  send  up  savory  jelly,  No.  21. 


60 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


TO  BOIL  A  HAM 

Run  a  knife,  or  skewer,  into  the  thickest  part  of  the 
ham  next  the  bone ;  if  the  knife  comes  out  clean  the  ham 
is  good,  if  it  smells  rank  and  smears  the  knife  the  ham 
is  not  good.  Select  your  ham,  then,  according  to  this 
rule,  and  when  good  lay  it  in  cold  water;  scrape  and 
wash  it  carefully,  and  let  it  remain  in  the  water  all 
night.  In  the  morning,  when  the  water — enough  to 
cover  the  ham — is  nearly  boiling  lay  the  ham  in,  and 
keep  the  water  in  a  simmer.  When  it  has  boiled  about 
an  hour  throw  in  two  carrots,  four  onions,  two  heads  of 
celery,  a  sprig  of  parsley,  two  or  three  blades  of  mace 
and  four  cloves.  If  the  ham  is  very  salt,  it  is  well  to 
change  the  water  before  putting  in  the  seasoning.  To 
obtain  tenderness  and  mellowness  the  ham  must  not  be 
allowed  to  boil  hard,  only  simmer.  Too  much  heat 
hardens  all  meat,  especially  salt  meat.  When  the  ham 
is  done  set  it  off  in  its  own  water,  let  it  cool  in  it ;  by 
this  means  it  will  retain  its  moisture.  When  cool  take 
it  out,  skin  it,  and  dredge  sugar  over  it,  set  it  in  the 
oven  till  it  browns,  or  hold  a  hot  shovel  over  it. 


DAUBE  GLACEE  OF  BEEF,  FOR  COLD  SUPPERS 

Take  a  thick  round  of  beef — from  four  to  six  inches 
is  the  best  size — make  holes  in  it  and  stuff  them  with 
salted  pork  or  bacon ;  roll  each  piece,  before  it  is  drawn 
through  the  beef,  in  pepper,  salt,  sugar,  and  vinegar, 
with  minced  parsley,  and  a  very  little  minced  garlic. 
If  the  weather  is  cold  it  will  be  better  to  keep  the  meat 
till  the  next  day  before  cooking  it.  Boil  two  calf’s  feet 
or  four  pig’s  feet  until  they  drop  to  pieces ;  pick  out  the 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


61 


bones  and  strain  the  liquor;  set  it  away  to  jelly,  or  put 
it  on  ice  to  make  it  jelly.  The  next  morning,  put  one 
half  the  jelly  in  a  large  stew  pan,  then  add  the  beef,  and 
cover  it  with  the  remainder  of  the  jelly.  Paste  the  pan 
over  very  tight  or  cover  it  extremely  well,  so  that  none 
of  the  flavor  can  escape.  Cook  this  about  four  hours ; 
when  done,  take  out,  cover  with  the  liquor,  and  set  it 
aside  till  it  is  jellied.  This  is  delicious  to  eat  cold,  for 
suppers  and  collations. 

BOILED  BRISKET  OF  BEEF,  STUFFED 

A  piece  weighing  about  eight  pounds  requires  five 
or  six  hours  to  boil.  Before  boiling  the  beef  make  a 
dressing  of  bread  crumbs,  pepper,  butter,  salt,  sweet 
herbs,  mace,  and  an  onion,  all  chopped  fine  and  mixed 
with  a  beaten  egg.  Put  the  dressing  between  the  fat 
and  the  lean  of  the  beef ;  sew  it  up  to  keep  the  dressing 
in.  Flour  a  cloth,  tie  the  beef  up  tight  in  it,  and  let  it 
boil  five  or  six  hours. 

ROUND  OF  BEEF  STEWED  BROWN 

Make  incisions  in  the  beef  and  stuff  with  chopped 
onions,  salt,  pepper,  and  sweet  basil,  thyme  and  pars¬ 
ley.  Dredge  the  meat  with  flour,  lay  some  slices  of 
bacon  over  it,  and  put  it  to  brown  in  a  close  oven.  Slice 
two  turnips,  four  carrots,  four  salsifies,  three  stalks  of 
celery  and  two  onions ;  add  a  quarter  of  a  cup  of  tomato 
catsup  or  two  large  tomatoes ;  season  with  salt  and  put 
all  in  the  oven  to  cook  with  the  meat.  After  it  has 
been  cooking  in  the  oven  two  hours  and  is  brown,  add 
a  cup  of  water  with  the  vegetables.  Cover  again 
closely,  and  let  this  stew  for  one  or  two  hours  more,  or 
until  the  meat  and  vegetables  are  tender. 

s 


62 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


TO  FRY  A  STEAK  TO  TASTE  AS  IF  BROILED 

It  sometimes  happens  that  when  the  fire  is  low  and 
the  coals  gone  out,  you  are  called  on  to  cook  a  steak. 
Then  get  up  a  quick  blaze  in  the  stove  with  some  kin¬ 
dlings.  Put  in  a  pan,  over  the  blaze,  a  little  butter ;  when 
it  is  hot  lay  in  your  steak;  let  itifry  quickly;  while  fry¬ 
ing  cover  the  pan.  Work  some  butter,  salt  and  pepper 
together  in  a  tin  pan,  and  when  the  steak  is  done  to 
taste,  let  it  lie  in  this  mixture  a  few  minutes,  and  then 
serve.  Do  not  salt  a  steak  until  it  is  cooked  as  salt 
will  toughen  it  and  draw  out  its  juices. 


ROUND  OF  BEEF  A  LA  BARONNE 

Boil  a  fat  round  of  beef  for  half  an  hour,  take  it  up 
and  put  in  a  deep  dish ;  cut  gashes  in  the  sides  of  the 
meat,  put  pepper  and  salt  into  each  gash ;  fill  the  dish 
the  meat  is  in  with  claret  wine ;  set  it  in  to  bake,  adding 
as  it  goes  in  the  stove  three  blades  of  mace,  a  cup  of 
pickled  capers,  or  nasturtiums,  three  white  onions  cut 
small,  and  a  bunch  of  parsley  cut  fine.  Stew  or  bake 
all  together  until  the  meat  is  tender.  Toast  some  slices 
of  bread  very  brown,  lay  them  in  the  bottom  of  a  dish, 
lay  in  the  beef  and  pour  the  gravy  around  it,  unless  it 
is  preferred  in  a  sauce  boat. 


ROASTED  BEEFSTEAKS 

Tenderloin  or  porterhouse  steaks  are  the  best  for 
broiling.  Have  a  clear  fire  of  coals  to  broil  on ;  rub  the 
gridiron  with  a  little  fat  of  the  meat;  lay  on  the  steak 
without  salting,  let  it  broil  gently  until  one  side  is  done, 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


63 


then  turn.  Catch  the  blood  as  you  turn  it,  to  make  the 
gravy  rich.  If  the  steak  is  a  large  firm  one,  take  a 
quarter  of  a  pound  of  butter  and  work  into  it  pepper 
and  salt.  When  the  steak  is  done  lay  it  on  to  this  sea¬ 
soned  butter,  keep  it  hot  until  the  butter  melts,  turn  the 
steak  in  it  a  few  times,  put  the  blood  with  the  gravy, 
and  serve  hot,  with  tomato  sauce  or  catsup. 

TO  EOAST  BEEF  IN  A  STOVE 

A  fine  roasting  piece  of  beef  may,  if  properly  man¬ 
aged,  be  baked  in  a  stove  so  as  to  resemble  beef  roasted 
before  a  large,  open  fire.  Prepare  the  meat  as  if  for 
roasting,  season  it  well  with  salt,  pepper,  and  a  little 
onion  if  liked.  Set  the  meat  on  muffin  rings,  or  a  trivet 
in  a  dripping  pan,  and  pour  into  the  pan  a  pint  or  so 
of  hot  water  to  baste  the  meat  with.  Keep  the  oven  hot 
and  well  closed  on  the  meat;  when  it  begins  to  bake, 
baste  it  freely,  using  a  long-handled  spoon;  it  should  be 
basted  every  fifteen  minutes ;  add  hot  water  to  the  pan 
as  it  wastes,  that  the  gravy  may  not  burn ;  allow  fifteen 
minutes  to  each  pound  of  meat  unless  you  wish  it  very 
rare.  Half  an  hour  before  taking  it  up,  dredge  flour 
thickly  over  it,  baste  freely  and  let  it  brown.  Take  the 
meat  from  the  pan,  dredge  in  some  flour  and  seasoning 
if  needed;  throw  into  the  gravy  a  cup  of  water,  let  it 
boil  up  once,  and  strain  into  a  sauce  boat  or  gravy 
tureen. 


LEG  OF  MUTTON  BOILED  A  l’aNGLAISE 

Select  a  fat,  fine  leg  of  mutton,  put  it  on  the  fire  in 
warm  water;  when  it  boils  skim  it,  and  let  it  simmer 
gently  for  two  hours  and  a  half ;  throw  in  a  tablespoon- 


64 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


ful  of  salt.  When  the  mutton  is  done  garnish  with 
turnips  mashed  in  cream,  butter,  pepper  and  salt,  and 
send  it  to  table  with  a  sauce  boat  of  caper  sauce  No.  11. 

ROAST  LEG  OF  MUTTON 

Select  a  fine,  fat  leg,  cut  holes  in  it,  and  lard  it  with 
fat  bacon;  season  with  parsley,  pepper,  and  salt  and 
put  it  to  bake  in  a  slow  oven.  Roast  it  for  two  hours, 
and  serve  with  tomato  sauce. 

MUTTON  STUFFED  WITH  MUSHROOMS 

Chop  up  half  a  pint  of  mushrooms,  put  them  in  a 
stew  pan  with  some  chopped  parsley  and  onion,  and  a 
tablespoonful  of  grated  lean  and  same  of  fat  ham; 
season  with  salt  and  pepper,  add  the  yolks  of  four 
eggs,  stir  it  all  together,  and  introduce  it  in  the  leg  by 
taking  out  the  bone  or  by  making  incisions  in  the  mut¬ 
ton.  Bake  very  brown,  froth  it  up  by  dusting  flour 
over  it,  and  serve  with  a  good  brown  gravy,  in  which 
some  currant  jelly  is  melted.  Sauce  No.  28  is  very  nice 
for  stuffed  leg  of  mutton. 

MUTTON  HAUNCH 

Let  it  lie  in  vinegar  and  water  a  few  hours  before  it 
is  put  to  cook.  When  wanted,  rub  it  all  over  with  pep¬ 
per  and  salt,  and  when  going  to  put  it  in  the  oven,  cover 
it  with  a  paste  made  of  flour  and  water,  to  keep  in  the 
juices  while  baking;  allow  fifteen  minutes  to  each 
pound  of  mutton.  When  half  done,  take  off  the  flour 
paste,  baste  the  meat  well  and  dredge  flour  over  it. 
Half  an  hour  before  serving,  stir  into  the  pan  a  quarter 
of  a  pound  of  butter,  baste  the  meat  freely,  dredge 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


65 


flour  over  it  again,  and  brown.  Serve  with  port  wine 
and.  jelly  in  the  gravy,  or  if  preferred,  use  one  of  the 
sauces  mentioned  for  roast  mutton. 

MUTTON  THAT  WILL  TASTE  LIKE  VENISON 

Take  a  hind  quarter  of  lamb  or  mutton;  rub  it  well 
all  over  with  brown  sugar,  half  a  pint  of  wine,  and 
same  of  vinegar.  Let  it  stay  in  this  pickle  for  a  day 
or  two,  if  the  weather  is  cold.  When  it  is  wanted,  wash 
it,  dry  it,  and  roast  it,  or  it  may  be  cut  into  steaks,  or 
made  into  a  pie  like  venison.  Sugar  is  a  great  pre¬ 
servative,  and  gives  a  finer  flavor  than  salt,  which 
hardens  delicate  meats.  Salt  drains  out  the  juices  of 
mutton  or  lamb. 


66 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


FOWLS  AND  GAME 


BOILED  CHICKEN 

After  tlie  chickens  are  cleaned  and  trussed  fold  them 
in  a  nice  white  cloth,  put  them  in  a  large  stew-pan  and 
cover  them  with  boiling  water;  boil  them  gently,  and 
skim  carefully  as  long  as  any  scum  rises ;  let  them  sim¬ 
mer  slowly  as  that  will  make  them  plump  and  white, 
while  fast  boiling  will  make  them  dark  and  lose  flavor. 
When  done  lay  them  on  a  hot  dish,  and  pour  celery, 
oyster,  or  egg  sauce  over  them.  Serve  some  also  in  a 
boat,  as  it  keeps  hot  longer  than  when  poured  over  the 
fowls.  Boiled  tongue  or  ham  should  be  served  with 
boiled  chicken.  If  the  chicken  is  not  very  tough,  an 
hour  or  an  hour  and  a  quarter  is  sufficient  to  boil  it. 

COUNTRY  FRIED  CHICKENS 

Take  a  young,  fat  chicken,  cut  it  up,  pepper  and  salt 
it,  dredge  it  over  with  flour,  and  set  it  by  while  you 
mix  a  cup  of  lard,  and  some  slices  of  fat  bacon  in  a  fry¬ 
ing  pan.  Let  the  lard  get  very  hot,  then  drop  in  a  few 
pieces  of  the  chicken,  always  allowing  room  in  the  pan 
for  each  piece  to  be  turned  without  crowding.  As  fast 
as  you  fry  the  pieces,  put  them  on  a  dish  over  hot  water 
to  keep  the  heat  in  them  while  you  make  the  gravy. 
Pour  off  some  of  the  grease  the  chicken  was  fried  in, 
and  then  dredge  into  the  fryingpan  some  flour,  let  this 
brown  nicely  and  then  pour  into  it  a  cup  of  sweet  milk, 
little  at  a  time;  let  it  froth  up,  and  then  place  your 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


67 


chicken  back  into  the  gravy  for  three  minutes.  If  you 
like  the  chicken  brown  and  dry,  pour  the  gravy  under 
it  on  the  dish  for  serving. 


BOILED  CHICKENS  WITH  STUFFING 


Truss  and  stuff  the  chicken  as  for  roasting,  dredge  it 
all  over  with  wheat  flour,  and  put  it  in  a  pot  of  boiling 
water;  take  the  pot  off  the  fire  for  five  minutes  after 
the  chicken  is  put  in,  or  the  skin  will  crack ;  then  let  it 
boil  gently  according  to  its  age  and  weight,  an  old  fowl 
requiring  twice  as  long  to  boil  as  a  young  one;  allow 
fifteen  minutes  to  the  pound.  Take  off  all  the  scum  as 
it  rises,  and  when  done  serve  with  hard-boiled  egg 
sauce,  or  parsley,  or  oyster  sauce.  This  is  a  nice  way 
to  cook  a  fat  old  chicken,  as  it  is  much  more  tender 
and  nourishing  than  baked,  for  if  the  chicken  is  old 
baking  toughens  it. 


STEW,  OR  FRICASSEE  OF  CHICKEN 


Clean  and  wash  the  chicken,  cut  it  up  as  for  frying, 
lay  it  in  a  stew-pan  with  water  to  cover  it ;  add  a  tea¬ 
spoonful  of  salt  and  half  as  much  pepper ;  set  it  to  boil 
very  gently,  take  off  all  scum  as  it  rises.  When  the 
chicken  is  tender,  which  will  be  in  an  hour,  take  a  tea¬ 
cup  of  butter,  a  tablespoonful  of  flour  worked  in  it, 
and  a  bunch  of  parsley,  put  them  in  the  stew-pan  with 
the  chicken;  let  all  stew  twenty  minutes,  and  serve  on 
toasted  bread.  Egg-balls  around  the  toast  add  much 
to  the  beauty  of  this  dish, 


68 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


CHICKEN  FRICASSEE  A  LA  MARENGO 


Cut  the  chicken  up  as  for  a  fricassee,  put  it  in  a 
sauce-pan  with  a  wineglassful  of  salad  oil,  and  allow  it 
to  cook  rather  briskly  for  twenty  minutes ;  then  put  in 
with  it  a  quarter  of  a  pound  of  truffles  cut  up,  a  bunch 
of  parsley,  six  chives  or  small  green  eschalots,  a 
bruised  clove  of  garlic,  and  pepper  and  salt ;  let  them 
stew  for  twenty  minutes ;  then  pour  off  the  oil  and  take 
out  the  parsley.  If  only  one  chicken  is  used,  throw  in 
half  a  pint  of  button  mushrooms,  a  ladleful  of  brown 
gravy  sauce,  and  the  juice  of  a  lemon.  Garnish  this 
dish  with  pieces  of  fried  bread  and  large  crayfish. 


ROAST  CHICKENS 

Draw  them  and  stuff  with  rich  bread  and  butter 
stuffing ;  baste  them  with  butter  and  a  little  fat  bacon, 
seasoned  with  sweet  herbs;  brown  nicely,  and  serve 
with  their  own  gravy  made  by  sifting  in  a  tablespoon¬ 
ful  of  flour  and  a  cup  of  hot  water;  add  a  little  chopped 
parsley,  and  serve  with  hard-boiled  eggs  on  the  dish 
with  the  chickens. 


CHICKEN  SAUTE  WITH  OYSTER  SAUCE 


Cut  up  the  chicken  as  for  frying,  roll  each  piece  in 
salt,  pepper,  and  sifted  flour,  and  fry  a  light  brown. 
Pour  off  most  of  the  grease  the  chicken  was  fried  in, 
and  in  the  same  pan  put  three  dozen  oysters  with  a 
pint  of  their  juice,  and  a  spoonful  of  lemon  juice.  Let 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


69 


them  simmer  a  few  minutes,  and  serve  with  pieces  of 
fried  bread  around  the  dish. 

COLD  CHICKEN  ESCALLOPED 

Mince  cold  chicken  without  the  skin,  wet  it  with 
gravy  or  hot  water  (gravy  is  best),  and  season  with 
salt  and  pepper.  To  the  minced  meat  of  one  chicken, 
put  two  ounces  of  sweet,  fresh  butter,  cut  small.  Rub 
tin  or  silver  scallop  pans  with  butter,  strew  over  the 
bottom  powdered  cracker,  lay  the  minced  chicken  in, 
strew  cracker  over  the  top,  and  bake  in  a  hot  oven  long 
enough  to  brown  the  top.  Serve  with  celery  or  pickle. 

TO  BROIL  A  CHICKEN 

Clean  it  as  usual  and  split  it  down  the  back,  break 
the  breast-bone  with  a  stroke  of  the  potato  beetle, 
spread  it  out  flat  and  lay  it  on  the  gridiron  over  clear 
coals ;  put  the  inside  of  the  chicken  to  the  fire  first.  Put 
a  tin  cover  over  it,  let  it  broil  quickly  until  nearly  done, 
then  turn  it  and  finish  without  the  cover.  When  nicely 
browned  take  it  on  a  dish,  season  it  with  salt  and  pep¬ 
per,  and  butter  it  freely;  turn  it  once  or  twice  in  the 
butter  and  serve  it  hot. 

CHICKEN  CURRY 

Cut  up  the  chicken  and  stew  as  usual  for  the  table. 
When  done  add  a  tablespoonful  of  curry  powder. 
Serve  rice  with  the  dish. 

CHICKEN  PIE,  A  LA  REINE 

Cut  two  chickens  up  as  for  frying,  lay  some  veal  cut 
in  small  pieces  in  the  bottom  of  your  pie  dish,  cut  up 


70 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


over  the  veal  a  slice  of  fat  ham;  on  this  place  your 
chickens ;  place  hard-boiled  yolks  of  eggs  in  among  the 
chicken.  Take  half  a  pint  of  white  sauce,  made  with 
butter,  flour,  and  milk  or  water;  pour  this  over  the 
chickens,  season  with  a  cup  of  chopped  mushrooms, 
some  parsley,  pepper  and  salt  (a  good  pie  can  be  made 
if  you  omit  the  mushrooms  and  ham,  but  not  so  rich  as 
this  recipe) ;  now  cover  your  pie  with  a  good  paste, 
and  bake  for  an  hour  or  two. 

PLAIN  CHICKEN  PIE 

Take  two  nice  chickens,  or  more  if  they  are  small,  cut 
them  up  as  for  frying,  and  put  them  in  a  pot  to  stew 
with  some  slices  of  fat  meat.  Let  them  cook  for  half 
an  hour,  then  add  a  few  onions  and  four  Irish  potatoes 
sliced  small,  so  that  in  cooking  they  may  be  thoroughly 
dissolved  in  the  gravy.  Season  with  pepper,  salt,  a 
little  parsley,  and  a  quarter  of  a  pound  of  sweet  butter. 
When  it  is  cooked  well  there  should  be  gravy  enough  to 
cover  the  chickens.  If  you  want  it  very  nice,  beat  up 
two  eggs,  and  stir  into  the  stew  with  half  a  pint  of 
milk.  Line  a  five-quart  pan  with  a  crust  made  like  soda 
biscuit,  only  more  shortening;  put  in  the  chickens  and 
gravy;  then  cover  with  a  top  crust.  Bake  until  the 
crust  is  done  and  you  will  have  a  good  chicken  pie. 

CHICKEN  POT  PIE 

Cut  up  a  chicken,  parboil  it,  save  the  liquor  it  was 
boiled  in.  Wash  out  the  kettle,  or  take  another  one,  and 
in  it  fry  three  or  four  slices  of  fat  salt  pork,  and  put 
it  in  the  bottom  of  the  dish  in  which  the  pie  is  to  be 
made;  then  put  in  the  chicken  and  the  liquor,  also  a 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


71 


piece  of  butter  the  size  of  a  teacup,  and  sprinkle  in 
some  pepper ;  cover  with  a  light  crust  and  bake  an  hour. 


BONED  TURKEY 

Chop  up  one  pound  of  white  veal,  with  a  pound  of  fat 
bacon ;  season  high  with  chopped  mushrooms,  parsley, 
pepper,  salt,  and  a  bunch  of  sweet  herbs ;  when  chopped 
fine,  pound  them  in  a  mortar  or  pass  them  through  a 
sausage  grinder;  add  to  this  the  yolks  of  three  eggs, 
and  place  it  by  in  a  basin  for  use.  Peel  a  pound  of 
truffles,  and  cut  up  a  boiled  smoked  tongue,  a  pound  of 
fat  bacon,  or  a  pound  of  calf’s  udder  or  veal.  Next 
bone  a  turkey,  or  two  fine  capons,  or  fowls,  and  draw 
the  skin  from  the  legs  and  pinions  inside.  Take  the 
turkey  on  a  napkin — it  is  now  limp  and  boneless — cut 
slices  from  the  thick  breast  and  place  it  on  the  skin 
where  it  seems  to  be  thin,  distribute  the  flesh  of  the 
fowl  as  evenly  as  you  can  on  the  skin ;  season  it  slightly 
with  pepper  and  salt.  Spread  a  layer  of  the  prepared 
force-meat  in  the  basin,  let  it  be  an  inch  thick;  then 
place  the  cut-up  tongue,  bacon  and  veal,  lay  a  row  of 
chopped  truffles  and  a  layer  of  the  force-meat  until  the 
skin  is  covered,  or  as  full  as  it  will  hold.  It  must  be 
sewed  up  the  back,  the  ends  tied,  like  a  cushion,  or  roly- 
poly;  to  do  this  you  must  butter  a  cloth  and  put  it 
tightly  over  the  turkey  skin,  as  it  will  be  quite  too 
tender  to  stand  the  cooking,  etc.,  unless  supported  by  a 
napkin.  Tie  it  up  tightly  and  place  it  in  a  round  stew- 
pan  with  the  bones  and  any  trimmings  of  veal  or 
poultry  at  hand,  add  to  it  two  boiled  calf’s  feet,  or  an 
ounce  of  gelatine,  two  onions  stuck  with  four  cloves,  a 
bunch  of  parsley,  six  green  onions,  a  bunch  of  sweet 
basil,  and  a  bunch  of  thyme,  two  blades  of  mace,  and  a 


72 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


dozen  pepper  corns,  or  whole  peppers ;  moisten  all  with 
half  a  pint  of  wine  or  brandy.  Warm  this  np  and  put 
in  your  tied-up  gelatine,  pour  over  it  as  much  white 
veal  stock  as  will  cover  it  well,  put  it  back  in  the  stove 
to  simmer  gently  for  two  hours  and  a  half ;  let  the  gela¬ 
tine  get  cold  in  its  own  seasoning,  and  then  take  it  out 
and  put  it  under  a  weight  while  you  remove  the  stock  or 
gravy ;  take  off  all  the  cold  grease  from  the  surface  and 
clarify  with  eggs  in  the  usual  way.  When  the  gelatine 
is  quite  cold,  remove  the  weight,  take  it  from  its  napkin, 
wipe  it  and  glaze  it,  and  place  it  on  a  dish.  Decorate  it 
with  the  strained  gravy,  which  should  have  been  placed 
on  ice  as  soon  as  clarified  and  strained.  It  will  now  be 
a  firm  jelly;  if  not,  put  it  on  ice  again,  and  trim  the 
boned  turkey  or  fowls  with  it. 

Gelatines  of  turkeys,  geese,  capons,  pheasants,  par¬ 
tridges,  etc.,  are  made  in  the  same  way.  This  is  from 
the  finest  source,  and  will  repay  any  one  who  tries  to 
make  this  magnificent  dish.  It  has  never,  to  my  knowl¬ 
edge,  been  given  in  an  American  cook-book,  as  it  was 
obtained  from  one  who  was  Chef  de  Cuisine  to  a 
crowned  head  of  Europe. 

WILD  TURKEY 

If  the  turkey  is  old,  or  tough,  it  must  be  boiled  one 
hour  before  being  stuffed  for  baking.  Then  stuff  it  with 
oysters,  bread  and  butter,  and  season  with  pepper  and 
salt;  baste  with  butter,  and  the  juice  of  the  turkey. 
Make  the  gravy  by  putting  in  the  pan  a  pint  of  oysters, 
or  button  mushrooms,  throw  in  a  cup  of  cream,  or  milk, 
salt  and  pepper,  and  send  to  table  hot,  with  the  turkey. 

A  PLAIN  WAY  TO  COOK  A  TURKEY  BY  ROASTING 

Make  a  dressing  to  suit  you;  there  are  several  to 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


73 


choose  from  in  this  hook,  made  from  bread,  or  force¬ 
meat.  Stuff  the  turkey,  season  it  with  salt,  pepper,  and 
a  little  butter,  dredge  it  with  flour  and  put  it  in  the 
oven ;  let  the  fire  be  slow  at  first,  and  hotter  as  it  begins 
to  cook.  Baste  frequently  with  butter ;  when  the  turkey 
is  well  plumped  up,  and  the  steam  draws  toward  the 
fire,  it  is  nearly  done ;  then  dredge  again  with  flour,  and 
baste  with  more  butter  until  it  is  a  nice  brown.  Serve 
with  gravy  and  bread  sauce ;  some  like  chestnuts  stewed 
in  the  turkey  gravy,  and  served  with  it.  A  very  large 
turkey  will  take  three  hours  to  roast,  one  of  eight 
pounds  will  take  two  hours. 


ROAST  TURKEY  A  LA  PERIGORD 


For  this  purpose  choose  a  fine  young  hen  turkey; 
make  an  incision  at  the  back  of  the  neck,  and  through 
this  take  out  the  entrails,  as  the  turkey  looks  so  much 
nicer  than  when  otherwise  cut.  Cut  away  the  vent,  and 
sew  up  the  place  with  coarse  thread ;  singe  off  the  hairs 
and  scald  the  legs  to  get  off  the  black  skin,  if  the  skin  is 
black,  as  it  sometimes  is.  The  neck  should  be  cut  off 
close  into  the  back,  and  the  crop  left  entire ;  some  cooks 
can  do  this  and  some  think  it  too  much  trouble.  Break 
the  breast  bone  and  take  it  out.  Lay  a  little  salt  on  the 
turkey,  and  cover  it  up,  while  you  prepare  the  stuffing. 
Wash  three  pounds  of  truffles,  if  the  hen  turkey  is  a 
large  one ;  if  it  is  small  two  pounds  will  do.  Peel  the 
truffles  and  slice  them;  throw  them  into  water,  and 
scald  them;  add  two  pounds  of  fat  ham,  or  bacon,  also 
the  turkey  liver,  and  a  quarter  of  a  pound  of  veal  liver; 
season  this  with  pepper,  salt,  nutmeg,  chopped  thyme, 
and  a  clove  of  garlic.  Set  the  stew-pan,  containing  all 


74 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


these  ingredients,  on  a  slow  fire,  and  let  them  cook  for 
an  hour,  stirring  them  occasionally,  with  a  wooden 
spoon.  Mash  them  all  up  and  let  it  get  cool ;  when  cool, 
stuff  the  turkey  full  of  the  truffle  dressing,  and  fill  the 
crop  also ;  sew  it  up  carefully,  and  tie  it  with  a  string, 
then  truss  the  turkey,  and  if  time  allows,  put  it  away 
for  the  next  day.  It  should  then  be  roasted,  keeping 
it  well  basted  with  the  liquor  the  truffles  were  boiled 
in,  and  butter  added  to  it. 

BOILED  TURKEY  AND  CELERY  SAUCE 

Draw  a  fine,  young  turkey  hen,  and  remove  the  angu¬ 
lar  part  of  the  breast  bone ;  take  two  pounds  of  fat  veal 
dressing  and  stuff  the  turkey  with  it.  Put  over  the  fire 
to  cook  the  veal,  bones,  and  turkey  giblets,  to  make 
some  white  soup  stock;  season  this  and  let  it  boil  until 
you  want  to  put  the  turkey  on  to  cook.  Now  truss  your 
turkey  and  put  it  in  a  boiling  pot  with  a  carrot,  two 
onions,  a  head  of  celery,  and  a  bunch  of  sweet  herbs; 
now  pour  over  the  turkey  the  stock  from  the  veal  and 
giblets ;  cover  with  it,  if  enough ;  if  not,  put  in  water  to 
cover  it  and  set  it  to  boil ;  when  it  has  boiled  one  hour, 
put  it  on  the  back  of  the  stove,  and  let  it  simmer  and 
braise,  until  dinner.  Take  off  any  strings  that  may 
look  badly;  dish  it  up.  Pour  over  it  a  well-made  puree 
of  celery,  or  oyster  sauce,  and  send  to  table.  This  is 
an  elegant  mode  of  serving  turkey. 

BOILED  TURKEY  WITH  OYSTER  SAUCE 

Clean  and  truss  it  the  same  as  for  baking.  Stuff  the 
turkey  with  oysters,  bread  crumbs,  butter  and  mace,  all 
mixed  and  seasoned.  Put  it  on  the  fire  in  a  kettle  of 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


75 


water  not  hot,  but  slightly  warm;  do  not  drop  it  into 
boiling  water  or  it  will  break  the  skin  and  spoil  the 
appearance  of  the  turkey.  Cover  it  close,  and  when  the 
scum  rises  take  it  off.  Let  the  boiling  continue  for  one 
hour,  then  put  the  pot  containing  the  turkey  on  the 
coolest  part  of  the  stove,  and  let  it  simmer  for  half  an 
hour.  Serve  with  oyster  sauce  in  a  sauce  boat. 

DUCK  BOASTED 

Pick,  draw  and  singe  the  duck ;  wash  it  out  carefully 
and  stuff  it  with  potatoes,  mashed  with  butter,  onions, 
and  parsley.  Put  it  down  to  a  good  fire  or  in  a  hot 
oven,  pour  in  a  cup  of  water;  let  it  roast  for  half  an 
hour  if  it  is  fat  and  tender,  longer  if  tough.  As  soon  as 
the  duck  is  cleaned,  boil  the  giblets,  and  before  serving, 
chop  them  up  fine  with  some  of  the  gravy  from  the 
duck,  two  tablespoonfuls  of  catsup,  a  lump  of  butter, 
and  a  little  brown  flour.  Have  lemons  cut  on  side 
dishes,  or  serve  with  brown  duck  sauce  No.  1.  See 
sauces  for  meats,  ducks,  etc. 

DUCKS,  TAME  AND  WILD 

Tame  ducks  are  prepared  for  the  table  the  same  as 
young  geese,  that  is,  stuffed  with  bread,  butter,  pepper 
and  onion,  or  with  mashed  and  seasoned  Irish  potatoes. 
Wild  ducks  should  be  fat,  the  claws  small  and  supple ; 
the  hen  is  the  more  delicate.  Do  not  scald  wild  ducks, 
but  pick  them  clean  and  singe  over  a  blaze.  Draw  and 
wipe  them  well  inside  with  a  cloth;  rub  pepper  and 
salt  inside  and  out ;  stuff  each  duck  well  with  bread  and 
butter  stuffing.  If  the  ducks  are  at  all  fishy,  use  onion 
in  the  stuffing,  and  baste  very  freely.  It  is  well  to 


76 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


parboil  them  in  onion  and  water  before  stuffing ;  throw 
away  the  water  and  then  proceed  to  stuff  and  roast 
them.  Put  in  the  pan  a  teacup  of  butter,  baste  well 
with  this,  and  when  nearly  done,  dredge  flour  over  the 
ducks,  and  brown  them  nicely.  For  the  gravy  you  must 
boil  the  giblets;  while  the  ducks  are  cooking  mince 
these  fine;  add  pepper,  salt,  and  a  teaspoonful  of 
browned  flour.  Take  a  glass  of  wine  and  a  large  spoon¬ 
ful  of  currant  jelly;  heat  them  and  serve  with  the 
ducks,  mixed  with  the  giblets,  or  serve  it  in  a  dish 
alone ;  as  you  like. 

CANVAS-BACK  DUCKS 

These  are  cooked  the  same  as  wild  ducks,  without 
onion  however,  in  the  basting,  as  they  have  no  dis¬ 
agreeable  taste.  Serve  wine  and  currant  jelly  with 
canvas-back  ducks. 

TO  STEW  DUCKS  WITH  GREEN  PEAS 

Truss  the  ducks  as  for  baking  and  boiling,  and  put 
them  away  in  the  pantry ;  then  put  two  ounces  of  but¬ 
ter  in  a  stew-pan  on  the  fire,  stir  in  two  tablespoonfuls 
of  flour,  stir  until  it  becomes  brown  or  a  fawn  color ; 
then  pour  in  a  pint  of  broth  or  gravy  made  from  veal, 
or  from  water  in  which  the  ducks  or  chickens  have  been 
boiled.  Stir  this  while  cooking,  and  when  it  boils,  put 
in  the  ducks ;  let  them  cook  for  half  an  hour,  or  until 
done  or  nearly  so,  then  add  a  quart  of  green  peas,  an 
onion  chopped,  and  a  sprig  of  parsley;  allow  these  to 
stew  gently  until  done;  remove  the  parsley  and  the 
ducks,  and  if  there  is  too  much  sauce,  cook  it  down  a 
little  ;  dish  up,  pour  the  peas  and  gravy  over  the  ducks 
and  serve. 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


77 


ROASTED  DUCK 

Glean,  draw  and  truss  the  duck,  or  ducks,  wash  them 
nicely,  salt  and  pepper  them,  and  get  ready  a  sage  and 
onion  stuffing  (see  roast  goose)  or  stuff  with  mashed 
potatoes,  or  bread,  butter,  onions,  pepper  and  salt 
mixed,  and  bound  together  with  an  egg. 

BROILED  TEAL  DUCK 

Split  the  duck  like  a  partridge  down  the  back,  broil 
on  clear  coals,  butter  freely,  and  serve  on  buttered 
toast ;  pepper  and  salt  when  broiled,  just  before  putting 
on  the  butter ;  if  salted  before  it  extracts  the  fine  flavor. 

WILD  DUCKS 

There  are  several  kinds  of  ducks  South,  and  some  are 
very  fine.  Truss  wild  ducks  and  lay  them  in  a  pan  to 
bake  with  a  small  onion  in  the  body;  put  butter  over 
them,  with  a  bunch  of  celery,  a  little  pepper  and  salt; 
cook  slowly  and  garnish  with  lemon.  Wild  ducks  should 
be  wiped  dry  after  they  are  drawn,  and  rubbed  on  the 
inside  with  pepper  and  salt,  except  the  canvas-back, 
which  should  be  left  to  its  own  delicious  flavor. 

WILD  GEESE 

Wild  geese  should  be  cooked  rare,  and  stuffed  with  a 
dressing  of  bread,  butter,  and  a  small  quantity  of  pun¬ 
gent  seasoning,  such  as  onion,  cayenne,  or  mustard. 

ROAST  GOOSE,  WITH  SAGE  AND  ONION 

Draw  a  fine  fat  goose,  stuff  it  with  a  seasoning  of  the 
following  mixture:  Take  four  onions,  peel  them  and 
boil  them  ten  minutes  in  plenty  of  water  to  take  from 


78 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


them  the  strong  taste.  When  the  onions  have  boiled 
take  them  from  the  fire,  chop  fine,  and  add  to  them  a 
large  spoonful  of  sage  leaves  dried  and  powdered,  then 
add  a  cupful  of  stale  white  bread  crumbs,  a  teaspoon 
of  black  pepper,  a  little  cayenne,  and  a  teaspoon  of 
salt.  Mix  all  together  with  a  cup  of  milk  or  beef 
water,  and  stuff  the  goose  with  it.  Put  it  in  the  oven 
and  brown  it  nicely;  baste  often  with  butter;  when 
done  dish  it  with  its  own  rich  brown  gravy,  and  send  to 
table  with  a  boat  of  apple  sauce. 

GOOSE,  WITH  CHESTNUTS  A  LA  CHIPOLITA 

Get  the  goose  ready  as  usual.  To  prepare  the  stuff¬ 
ing  take  sixty  large  chestnuts,  peel  them  by  scalding, 
then  put  them  in  a  stew  pan  with  two  ounces  of  butter, 
one  onion  chopped  fine,  and  a  sprig  of  parsley;  chop 
and  mix  all  together  and  stuff  the  goose  with  it ;  mix 
with  the  chestnuts  one  pint  of  good  broth,  and  stew 
them  down  in  it  before  stuffing  the  goose.  Boil  down 
the  gravy  very  much,  and  when  the  goose  is  served, 
add  the  juice  of  two  oranges,  half  a  pound  of  currant 
jelly,  and  a  lemon  peel  in  the  gravy.  Pour  this  over 
the  goose  when  it  goes  to  the  table 

GAME,  VENISON,  ETC. 

Venison  is  the  finest  game  we  have  South.  The 
haunch  or  saddle  is  always  roasted;  it  requires  con¬ 
stant  attention,  and  should  be  turned  and  hasted  fre¬ 
quently  while  cooking.  Cover  the  fat  with  thick  white 
paper  while  cooking;  when  nearly  done,  take  off  the 
paper  and  baste  well  with  claret  wine,  butter  and  flour. 
Currant  jelly  is  the  usual  accompaniment  of  roasted 
venison,  and  is  preferred  by  some  to  wine,  in  cooking 
it. 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


79 


VENISON  STEAK 

Venison  steak  is  good  fried  or  broiled.  If  to  be 
broiled,  season  with  pepper,  salt,  and  butter,  and  cook 
quickly  on  a  hot  gridiron.  If  the  meat  is  not  fat,  make 
a  gravy  for  it  of  wine,  flour,  and  butter.  Serve  hot. 

VENISON  PASTY 

This  is  a  pie  made  from  the  bones,  meat,  etc.,  of 
venison,  after  the  steak  and  haunch  are  taken  off.  Cut 
up  and  stew,  or  braise  the  parts  of  meat  intended  for 
the  pie;  season  with  pepper,  salt,  port  wine,  butter, 
and  if  liked,  mushrooms;  stew  all  until  tender,  then 
make  a  paste  and  finish  like  chicken  pie.  This  is  better 
to  eat  cold  than  hot  and  should  be  rich  enough  to  be  a 
solid  jelly  when  cold. 

SQUIBBEL,  OB  YOUNG  BABBIT  PIE 

Cut  up  two  or  three  young  squirrels  or  rabbits ;  put 
them  in  a  saucepan  to  cook  with  two  ounces  of  butter, 
a  handful  of  chopped  mushrooms,  a  bunch  of  parsley 
and  two  shallots  chopped ;  season  with  pepper  and  salt, 
and  a  little  thyme  or  sweet  herbs;  cook  them  a  light 
brown.  Throw  in  a  glass  of  white  wine,  a  half  cup  of 
brown  gravy  from  veal  or  chicken,  and  the  juice  of 
half  a  lemon.  Toss  all  up  on  the  fire  fifteen  or  twenty 
minutes,  and  it  is  ready  to  be  put  in  the  pie.  If  you 
have  no  gravy  on  hand,  add  to  the  rabbits  a  cup  of 
sweet  milk,  and  a  piece  of  butter,  as  large  as  a  hen’s 
egg.  Make  a  nice  paste,  line  the  sides  of  the  pan,  pour 
in  the  stewed  rabbit,  and  cover  with  paste.  Bake  until 
a  light  brown,  and  eat  cold  or  hot.  It  is  almost  as  good 
as  venison  pie. 


80 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


HAEE  OR  RABBIT  ROASTED 

If  the  hares  and  rabbits  are  young,  the  ears  will  be 
tender.  Clean  the  rabbits  and  wash  them  through 
several  waters.  If  to  be  roasted,  they  must  be  stuffed 
with  grated  bread  crumbs,  suet  or  butter,  a  chopped 
onion,  the  liver  of  the  rabbit  chopped,  and  a  lemon  peel 
grated.  Moisten  with  eggs  and  a  little  claret.  Put  this 
in  the  rabbit  and  sew  it  up;  baste  with  butter,  and 
cook  for  two  hours.  Make  the  gravy  with  the  drip¬ 
pings  in  the  pan,  a  little  cream  or  milk,  and  flour.  If 
the  rabbits  are  old,  they  are  good  stewed  slowly  with 
sweet  herbs,  wine,  water,  and  chopped  onions,  and 
thickened  with  flour  and  butter. 

CEDAR,  OR  CAROLINA  RICE  BIRDS 

These  are  very  small,  but  make  a  delicious  pie  by 
stewing  them  with  butter  and  sweet  herbs,  and  baking 
them  in  a  light  paste,  with  plenty  of  gravy. 

PARTRIDGE  OR  QUAILS 

Are  nice  roasted  or  broiled,  and  served  on  toast.  If 
baked  they  require  constant  basting. 

PIGEON  PIE.  VERY  NICE 

Take  six  pigeons,  truss  them,  and  stuff  them  with 
their  own  livers,  a  little  bacon,  some  butter,  parsley, 
and  rolled  cracker  or  a  small  piece  of  bread;  salt  to 
taste ;  cover  the  bottom  of  the  baking  dish  with  slices 
of  veal  or  beef;  season  with  chopped  parsley,  mush¬ 
rooms,  pepper,  salt,  and  butter.  Place  the  pigeons  on 
this,  and  cover  with  a  nice  pie  crust.  When  the  pigeons 
are  placed  in  the  pan,  lay  between  each  two  pigeons 
the  yolks  of  two  hard-boiled  eggs.  Be  sure  and  have 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


81 


enough  gravy  to  keep  the  pie  very  moist.  This  can  be 
done  by  adding  plain  beef-stock  or  water  as  the  pie 
bakes.  Parboil  the  pigeons  a  little,  also  the  beef,  be¬ 
fore  putting  them  in  the  pan,  and  then  keep  the  water 
they  were  boiled  in  to  fill  up  the  pie. 

ROAST  PIGEONS 

Truss  them  when  plucked  and  drawn,  lay  thin  slices 
of  fat  bacon  on  their  breasts;  bake  them  three-quar¬ 
ters  of  an  hour,  and  then  make  a  gravy  with  their  gib¬ 
lets,  which  should  have  been  boiling  for  the  purpose. 
Chop  up  the  livers,  etc.,  brown  them  and  serve  with  the 
pigeons.  Thin  the  gravy  with  the  stock  the  liver  was 
boiled  in. 


TO  ROAST  A  SUCKING  PIG 

In  selecting  a  pig  for  the  table,  one  four  weeks  old  is 
to  be  preferred.  Let  the  pig  be  prepared  in  the  usual 
way  by  the  butcher,  that  is  scalded,  drawn,  etc.  Stuff  it 
with  a  mixture  of  two  or  three  onions,  say  half  a  pint 
when  sliced  and  chopped,  and  a  dozen  leaves  of  sage, 
pepper  and  salt;  set  this  to  simmer  on  the  fire,  then 
throw  in  half  a  pint  of  bread  crumbs  if  the  pig  is  small 
— if  a  large  one,  put  a  pint  of  crumbs — a  quarter  of  a 
pound  of  butter,  and  the  yolks  of  four  eggs.  Cook  this 
and  stuff  the  pig  with  it ;  sew  the  pig  up  and  put  it  in 
the  oven  to  roast ;  baste  it  often  with  a  brush  or  swab 
dipped  in  olive  oil,  dust  a  little  sugar  over  it,  and  brown 
it  evenly.  Take  off  the  head  before  serving,  take  out 
the  brains,  put  them  in  a  stew  pan ;  add  to  them  some 
chopped  parsley,  pepper,  and  salt,  a  cup  of  the  gravy 
from  the  pig,  and  the  juice  of  a  lemon.  Stir  this  over 
the  fire,  and  send  it  to  the  table  hot  in  a  separate  boat. 


82 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


VEGETABLES 


IRISH  POTATOES,  MASHED  AND  BROWNED 

Boil  them  without  peeling;  peel  them  while  hot,  mash 
them  up  with  sweet  butter,  a  little  milk,  pepper  and 
salt.  Many  like  them  better  when  mashed  and  smoothed 
over  with  a  knife  blade,  and  slightly  browned  in  the 
oven.  They  can  be  kept  hot  in  this  way  if  the  meal  is 
kept  hack  for  a  guest,  which  is  convenient  on  some 
occasions. 

STEWED  IRISH  POTATOES.  A  NICE  BREAKFAST  DISH 

Wash,  peel,  and  slice  six  potatoes;  throw  them  for  a 
few  moments  into  cold,  salted  water,  take  them  out  in 
five  minutes  and  place  them  in  a  stew  pan  on  the  fire ; 
cover  them  with  cold  water;  when  tender,  throw  off 
all  the  water,  pour  over  them  half  a  cup  of  sweet  milk, 
a  little  salt,  pepper,  and  chopped  parsley,  and  thicken 
them  with  a  spoonful  of  butter,  rolled  in  flour,  or  a  tea¬ 
spoonful  of  flour,  beaten  in  carefully  to  prevent  it  from 
lumping;  stew  a  few  moments  and  serve  in  a  covered 
dish. 

PUFFS 

Very  nice  potato  puffs  may  be  made  by  mashing 
seven  or  eight  potatoes  smoothly,  and  mixing  in  with 
them  two  well-beaten  eggs  two  tablespoonfuls  of  melt¬ 
ed  butter,  also  well-beaten,  and  a  cup  of  milk.  Pour  it 
into  a  pan  and  bake  in  a  hot  stove. 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


83 


FRIED  POTATOES 

Wash  and  pare  a  sufficient  quantity  for  the  meal. 
Slice  them  in  the  machine,  taking  care  to  hear  down 
lightly,  so  as  to  have  the  slices  very  thin.  Have  ready 
a  vessel  of  very  hot  lard,  and  drop  the  sliced  potatoes 
into  it,  letting  them  remain  till  they  begin  to  brown. 
Take  them  out  with  a  wire  ladle,  scatter  a  little  fine 
salt  over  them,  and  serve  while  hot.  Success  depends 
almost  entirely  upon  having  the  lard  sufficiently  hot. 
If  the  potatoes  do  not  brown,  but  absorb  fat,  and  are 
limp  and  greasy,  be  sure  the  lard  must  be  made  hotter. 
Properly  fried,  they  may  be  eaten  with  relish  when 
cold,  as  they  are  crisp  and  palatable. 

FRIED  POTATOES 

Pare  and  cut  the  potatoes  in  thin  slices ;  throw  them 
as  you  cut  them  into  salted  water  to  cool,  and  make 
them  crisp.  Put  them  piece  by  piece  on  a  dry  towel 
and  wipe  dry,  then  drop  them  into  boiling  fat,  enough 
to  float  them.  As  they  brown  dip  them  out  with  a  skim¬ 
mer,  and  salt  them  a  little. 

POTATO  CROQUETS 

Take  six  boiled  potatoes  (cold  mashed  potatoes  will 
do),  add  three  tablespoonfuls  of  grated  ham,  a  little 
pepper,  salt,  and  chopped  parsley,  also,  the  yolks  of 
three  eggs ;  form  into  balls,  dip  in  egg  and  roll  in  bread 
crumbs ;  fry  in  hot  lard ;  garnish  with  parsley. 

SWEET  POTATOES 

Are  good  baked  plain  in  their  skins;  or  boiled,  peeled 
and  sliced,  served  with  butter;  or  boiled,  and  then 


84 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


sliced  in  a  pan,  butter  and  sugar  thrown  over  them, 
and  baked  in  the  stove*  Some  persons  like  them  boiled 
and  mashed  with  butter,  and  browned  in  the  oven  like 
Irish  potatoes. 

TURNIPS,  TO  COOK 

Boil  or  steam  them  after  peeling;  when  they  are 
quite  tender,  you  must  mash  them  like  potatoes,  and 
season  with  pepper,  salt  and  butter. 

ONIONS  BOILED  AND  PRIED 

Trim  and  peel  them,  and  boil  them  in  water  until 
quite  tender,  then  dish  them.  Season  with  salt,  pepper 
and  butter.  Many  like  them  cut  in  slices  and  fried  a 
light  brown ;  they  are  good  on  a  beefsteak  when  washed 
in  two  or  three  waters  after  being  sliced,  then  put  into 
hot  lard  and  some  of  the  beefsteak  gravy,  fried  gently 
until  a  light  color,  and  served  around  the  steak. 

GREEN  CORN  ON  THE  COB 

Get  it  as  fresh  from  the  field  as  possible,  and  if  you 
desire  it  boiled  on  the  cob  you  must  (when  it  is  well 
silked)  throw  it  into  boiling  salted  water.  Corn  re¬ 
quires  only  fifteen  minutes  boiling;  too  long  boiling 
takes  out  the  sweetness  from  the  grain. 

STEWED  GREEN  CORN 

Take  a  dozen  fresh,  tender  ears  of  corn;  cut  it  off 
the  cob,  and  put  it  in  a  stew  pan  with  a  quart  of  cold 
water.  No  salt  at  first.  Let  it  cook  half  an  hour  and 
then  stir  in  a  lump  of  fresh  butter,  a  spoonful  of  flour, 
and  salt  and  pepper  to  taste.  If  too  dry,  add  a  cup  of 
sweet  milk,  or  water,  if  the  milk  is  not  convenient. 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


85 


GREEN  CORN  FRITTERS 

Beat  three  eggs  with  a  cup  of  milk ;  to  this  add  a  pint 
of  boiled  green  corn  grated;  throw  in  flour  enough  to 
make  a  batter  thick  enough  to  drop  from  a  spoon ;  salt 
and  pepper  to  taste,  beat  it  very  hard,  and  drop  into 
boiling  lard  one  spoonful  at  a  time.  This  is  a  great 
luxury  and  a  good  substitute  for  oysters  during  the  hot 
season. 


SUCCOTASH,  OR  CORN  AND  BEANS  MIXED 

Boil  for  half  an  hour  two  pints  of  green  shelled 
beans,  or  the  same  amount  of  string  beans ;  then  pour 
off  the  water,  cut  the  corn  from  two  dozen  ears,  put  it 
in  the  pot  among  the  beans ;  add  salt  and  pepper,  and 
cover  them  with  boiling  water.  Let  it  boil  for  half  an 
hour,  and  add  a  lump  of  butter  as  big  as  a  hen’s  egg, 
rolled  in  flour ;  let  this  boil  up  once  and  it  is  done. 

CORN  OYSTERS 

One  pint  of  grated  green  corn,  one  cup  of  flour,  one 
dessertspoonful  of  salt,  one  teaspoonful  of  pepper  and 
an  egg.  Mix  all  together,  and  drop  and  fry  in  hot  lard. 
This  is  a  nice  breakfast  dish. 

ROASTING  EAR  PUDDING 

Cut  as  much  corn  from  the  cob  as  you  require;  a 
dozen  ears  make  a  large  pudding.  To  every  three  ears 
allow  an  egg,  a  spoonful  of  butter,  a  little  pepper  and 
salt,  to  suit  your  taste;  fill  and  cover  it  with  sweet 
milk.  Let  this  bake  an  hour. 

OKRA  AND  CORN  FRICASSEE 

Put  a  pint  of  cut  okra  in  a  frying  pan  in  which  there 
is  a  cupful  of  hot  lard,  or  the  fat  of  side  meat ;  let  it 


86 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


fry  a  little,  then  cut  into  it  a  pint  and  a  half  of  corn ; 
fry  it  until  it  is  thoroughly  cooked,  pour  off  some  of  the 
grease,  and  dredge  in  a  little  flour,  and  a  half  cup  of 
milk ;  pepper  and  salt,  to  taste,  must  be  added  just  be¬ 
fore  dishing  it  up. 

A  NICE  WAY  TO  COOK  OKRA  OR  GOMBO 

Take  a  pint  of  young  tender  okra,  chop  it  up  fine, 
add  to  it  half  as  much  skinned,  ripe  tomatoes,  an  onion 
cut  up  in  slices,  a  tablespoonful  of  butter,  a  little  salt 
and  pepper,  and  a  spoonful  of  water ;  stew  all  together 
till  tender,  and  serve  with  meat  or  poultry. 

SALSIFY  FRIED  IN  BATTER 

Scrape  the  salsify,  throw  it  for  a  few  moments  into 
cold  water,  then  parboil  it,  drain  it  and  cut  into  lengths 
of  three  inches ;  allow  it  now  to  steep  until  cold,  in  a 
bowl  with  two  tablespoonfuls  of  olive  oil,  one  of  French 
vinegar,  pepper  and  salt;  let  it  remain  in  this,  occa¬ 
sionally  turning  it  until  ready  to  fry  it.  Then  make  a 
batter  with  eggs,  milk,  and  flour;  dip  the  salsify  in 
this  batter,  and  fry  in  hog’s  lard;  fry  parsley  with  it 
and  serve. 


TOMATOES  STUFFED 

Take  five  large  tomatoes,  slice  off  that  part  which 
joins  the  stalk,  cut  out  a  little  of  their  pulp,  take  out 
the  seeds,  and  strain  them;  chop  up  the  pulp  with  a 
handful  of  parsley,  a  slice  of  fat  bacon,  a  slice  of  ham, 
and  a  cup  of  bread  crumbs ;  fry  all  these,  and  season 
with  butter,  pepper,  salt,  thyme,  and  the  yolks  of  two 
eggs ;  take  it  off  the  fire  as  soon  as  the  eggs  are  beaten 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


87 


in,  and  stuff  the  tomatoes.  Bake  them  for  half  an  hour, 
pour  some  brown  sauce  or  gravy  over  them  and  serve. 

TOMATOES  TO  BROIL 

Take  ripe,  red  tomatoes,  place  them  on  the  gridiron, 
broil,  and  turn  until  done  through;  then  serve  them 
whole,  so  that  they  can  be  seasoned  at  the  table. 

STEWED  TOMATOES,  WITH  OR  WITHOUT  SUGAR 

Pour  boiling  water  over  six  or  eight  large,  ripe  to¬ 
matoes,  let  them  remain  in  it  a  few  minutes  to  scald 
the  skins,  then  take  them  out  and  skin  them.  Chop 
them  up  and  put  them  to  stew  with  a  little  salt,  pepper, 
and  a  small  piece  of  butter;  then  add  a  spoonful  of 
rolled  cracker  or  toasted  bread,  and  a  tablespoonful  of 
sugar,  if  liked;  if  not,  omit  the  sugar,  and  let  them 
stew  gently,  for  half  an  hour  longer. 

TO  COOK  SPINACH 

Wash  in  two  or  three  waters,  as  the  grit  adheres 
very  closely  to  spinach ;  when  well  washed,  boil  it  one 
half  hour  in  clear  water;  add  a  little  soda,  if  it  does 
not  look  a  nice  green.  When  soft,  drain  it  well  and 
chop  very  fine — it  cannot  be  too  fine ;  add  butter,  salt  if 
needed,  and  pepper  to  taste ;  garnish  with  hard-boiled 
eggs  cut  in  fancy  shapes ;  or,  in  early  spring,  it  is  nice 
to  poach  two  or  three  eggs,  and  lay  on  the  freshly 
cooked  spinach. 


ASPARAGUS  ON  TOAST 

The  fresher  this  vegetable  is  the  better ;  and  in  pick¬ 
ing  and  washing  it,  all  stalks  not  crisp  and  tender 
should  be  thrown  aside.  Cut  off  nearly  all  the  horny 


88 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


white  parts,  tie  the  rest  in  neat  bunches,  and  boil  in 
salted  water  for  twenty  minutes  or  half  an  hour ;  then 
take  it  out,  let  it  drain  a  minute  and  lay  on  buttered 
toast,  the  heads  all  one  way;  cover  with  rich  drawn 
butter  sauce. 


ASPARAGUS  WITH  CREAM 

When  cream  is  plentiful,  cut  the  asparagus  in  inch 
pieces,  boil,  and  then  throw  it  into  rich  hot  cream,  with 
seasoning  of  pepper  and  salt. 

STEWED  MUSHROOMS  ON  TOAST 

Pull  out  the  stems  of  the  mushrooms,  and  peel  them ; 
melt  a  tablespoonful  of  butter  in  a  stew  pan,  throw  into 
the  butter  a  little  salt,  pepper,  and  powdered  mace  (if 
liked),  lay  the  mushrooms  in  this,  upper  side  down, 
and  stew  till  they  are  tender,  which  will  be  in  about 
twenty  minutes.  Fry  a  slice  of  bread  until  it  is  a  light 
brown,  and  then  arrange  the  mushrooms  over  it.  Serve 
hot. 

EGG  PLANT 

Parboil  egg  plant,  slice  it  and  dip  each  piece  in 
beaten  egg  and  roll  it  in  pounded  cracker;  then  drop 
it  in  hot  lard  and  fry  brown.  Season  with  salt  and 
pepper.  They  are  delicious  cooked  this  way,  and  taste 
life  soft-shelled  crabs.  Another  way  is  to  parboil  them, 
mash  them  up  and  season  with  eggs,  onions,  pepper, 
salt  and  butter;  then  place  the  mixture  back  in  the 
shell,  and  bake.  Serve  in  their  shells. 

ANOTHER  WAY  TO  COOK  EGG  PLANT 

Parboil,  slice  them,  and  without  rolling  them  in  any¬ 
thing  drop  them  into  boiling  lard;  season  with  salt 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


89 


and  pepper.  Some  like  them  mashed  and  added  to  a 
batter  of  eggs,  flour  and  milk,  seasoned  with  pepper 
and  salt,  and  then  dropped  like  fritters  into  hot  lard. 

BURR  ARTICHOKES 

Get  them  young  or  they  are  not  tender,  wash  them  in 
salted  water,  and  put  them  to  boil.  Boil  until  you  can 
pull  off  a  leaf  easily;  salt  them  and  serve  with  drawn- 
butter  sauce,  with  vinegar  in  it,  or  mustard  and  oil,  as 
preferred. 


SNAP  BEANS,  STEWED  AND  BOILED 

Pick  and  snap  them  when  green  and  tender,  cut  them 
small,  and  throw  into  boiling  water;  let  them  cook 
gently  for  two  hours ;  then  stir  in  a  half  cup  of  broth, 
and  a  cup  of  milk;  let  them  stew  in  this  for  half  an 
hour  longer;  season  with  salt  and  pepper  to  taste. 
Many  like  them  cooked  with  a  piece  of  lean  side  bacon. 
They  require  several  hours  boiling,  if  not  very  young. 
Put  the  beans  in  first,  and  when  half  done,  put  in  a 
pound  or  so  of  bacon  to  an  ordinary  mess  of  beans. 

GREEN  ENGLISH  PEAS,  TO  STEW 

Shell  a  quart  of  green  peas  for  a  small  mess.  Wash 
them  in  cold  water,  and  put  them  on  to  cook  in  a  stew 
pan  with  a  pint  of  boiling  water,  or  enough  to  cover 
them.  Let  them  cook  half  an  hour,  and  then  stir  in  a 
large  lump  of  butter  rolled  in  flour ;  let  this  cook  a  few 
minutes,  and  add  a  teaspoonful  of  white  sugar,  same 
of  salt  and  pepper,  and  serve  while  hot.  Do  not  let 
them  cook  dry.  Lamb  and  green  peas  is  a  favorite 
dish  in  the  spring  of  the  year. 


90 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


MARROWFAT  PEAS 

This  is  a  late  sort  of  green  pea,  and  is  much  richer  in 
taste  than  the  earlier  ones,  but  not  so  delicate.  They 
must  be  dressed  like  the  early  peas,  by  boiling  in  water, 
and  when  soft,  pour  off  the  water.  They  are  sometimes 
a  little  strong  if  the  water  is  not  changed.  Fill  up  with 
milk,  or  milk  and  water,  and  boil  a  little  longer,  then 
season  with  butter,  pepper  and  salt,  and  thicken  with 
a  teaspoon  of  flour  stirred  in  among  the  peas. 


LIMA,  OR  BUTTER  BEANS 

Shell  them,  and  lay  them  in  cold  water  for  an  hour 
or  so  before  cooking ;  this  renders  them  more  delicate 
and  mealy.  When  ready  to  cook,  put  them  in  a  stew 
pan  in  boiling  water  enough  to  cover  them;  let  them 
boil  fast  and  keep  them  covered  while  cooking;  ex¬ 
amine  them  in  an  hour,  and  if  soft,  pour  off  nearly  all 
the  water  and  stir  in  a  lump  of  butter,  some  pepper 
and  salt.  Lima  beans  and  sweet  corn  make  the  finest 
succotash,  although  string  beans  are  generally  used. 


SQUASH,  STEWED 

If  not  very  young,  you  must  peel  the  squashes,  steam 
or  boil  them  until  tender,  and  season  them  with  sweet 
milk  or  cream,  and  a  little  butter,  pepper  and  salt ;  let 
them  stew  down  in  this  until  they  are  thick,  and  of  the 
consistence  of  mashed  potatoes.  Another  way  is  to 
take  them  from  the  steamer,  mash  them  with  a  cut-up 
onion,  and  a  slice  or  two  of  ham ;  then  stew  them  down 
thick,  adding  pepper  and  salt  to  taste. 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


91 


STEWED  SUMMER  SQUASH 

Gather  them  while  young  and  tender.  Peel,  cut  them 
up,  take  out  the  seeds,  and  put  them  on  to  boil;  let 
them  cook  rapidly  until  very  tender.  Drain  them  well 
in  a  colander,  and  mash  with  a  wooden  spoon.  Put  this 
pulp  in  a  stew  pan  with  a  small  piece  of  butter,  a  gill 
of  cream,  and  a  little  pepper  and  salt;  cook  this,  and 
stir  constantly  until  the  squash  is  dry.  Serve  very  hot. 

PUMPKIN  WITH  SALT  MEAT 

This  is  very  good  cooked  with  salt  meat  and  brown 
sugar.  Slice  the  pumpkin  and  put  it  in  the  oven  with 
brown  sugar,  or  good  molasses;  slice  some  smoked 
meat  and  lay  it  in  among  the  pumpkin ;  cook  it  tender. 
It  is  better  than  many  things  with  more  reputation. 


CAULIFLOWER,  WITH  WHITE  SAUCE 

Remove  the  green  stalks,  and  if  the  heads  are  large, 
divide  them  into  quarters ;  wash  and  boil  them  with  a 
little  pepper,  butter  and  salt ;  serve  with  drawn  butter 
or  white  sauce,  when  they  become  soft  and  tender. 

STEWED  CABBAGE 

Cold  cabbage  left  from  dinner  can  be  drained  from 
the  pot  liquor  in  which  it  was  boiled,  and  then  sim¬ 
mered  for  half  an  hour  in  water,  or  milk  and  water; 
pour  off  all  the  water  when  it  is  tender,  and  stir  in  the 
pot  a  lump  of  butter  or  clarified  drippings;  let  it  cook 
gently,  then  throw  in  a  cup  of  milk  or  cream;  thicken 


92 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


it  with  flour,  and  season  with  pepper  and  salt.  Serve 
with  the  cream  gravy  poured  over  the  cabbage. 


BEETS  BOILED 

Wash  the  beets  clean,  hut  do  not  trim  the  roots,  or 
they  will  bleed  and  lose  their  sweetness.  If  the  beets 
are  young  and  tender,  they  are  nice  cooked  whole,  and 
then  stewed  in  a  little  butter,  with  sugar,  salt  and  vine¬ 
gar  added.  Let  them  simmer  in  this  hatter  for  twenty 
minutes,  and  serve.  If  the  beets  are  large,  boil,  and 
slice  them  when  cooked,  and  season  with  vinegar,  pep¬ 
per  and  salt,  or  slice  them,  and  serve  with  butter. 

PARSNIP  FBITTERS 

I  * 

Boil  the  parsnips  in  salted  water  until  they  are  done ; 
make  a  batter  of  an  egg,  a  spoonful  of  milk  and  flour, 
pepper  and  salt,  and  when  the  parsnips  are  cool 
enough  to  handle  cut  them  in  rounds,  dip  them  in  the 
hatter  and  drop  them  into  hot  lard ;  f ry  a  light  brown, 
turn  them  and  fry  the  other  side.  When  brown  on  both 
sides,  drain  them  from  the  grease.  They  are  good, 
mashed  like  turnips. 

MACARONI  IN  A  MOULD 

Boil  macaroni  till  it  is  tender,  line  a  mould  with  it, 
fitting  it  in  closely.  Make  a  mince  of  any  kind  of  meat, 
raw  or  cooked ;  season  with  sweet  herbs,  butter,  pepper 
chopped  eschalot,  and  a  couple  of  eggs ;  fill  the  mould 
with  this  and  boil  for  twenty  minutes.  Serve  with 
white  sauce  No.  10  put  around  the  macaroni. 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


93 


MACARONI  AND  GRATED  CHEESE 

Take  a  quarter  of  a  pound  of  macaroni,  break  into 
lengths,  and  throw  it  into  cold  water  to  soak,  an  hour 
or  so  after  breakfast.  Boil  it  an  hour,  take  it  out  of 
the  pot  and  put  in  the  bottom  of  the  pan  a  layer  of  the 
boiled  macaroni  and  then  a  layer  of  grated  cheese; 
strew  over  the  top  a  teaspoonful  of  salt  and  some 
lumps  of  butter  as  big  as  a  nutmeg.  Then  fill  up  the 
pan  with  new  milk  and  bake  until  browned  on  top,  but 
never  let  it  get  dry ;  it  is  better  to  put  water  in,  if  your 
milk  has  given  out,  than  to  let  it  get  the  least  dry.  This 
is  a  rich  dish  when  well  made,  but  a  poor  one  if  badly 
made,  and  served  dry. 


7 


94 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


EGGS,  OMELETS,  ETC. 


In  choosing  eggs  hold  each  one  up  to  the  light;  if 
fresh,  the  white  will  be  clear  and  the  yolk  distinct ;  if 
they  are  not  good,  they  will  have  a  clouded  appearance. 

Eggs  for  boiling  must  be  as  fresh  as  possible ;  they 
may  be  kept  fresh  for  several  weeks  by  packing  them 
in  bran.  Lay  the  small  end  of  the  egg  downward  in  the 
box.  You  may  also  keep  them  for  months  by  greasing 
them  with  melted  lard,  or  beef  fat,  or  in  a  weak  brine 
of  lime  water  and  salt ;  strong  lime  water  will  eat  the 
shell,  and  if  very  strong  will  cook  the  eggs.  Add  to  a 
common  bucket  of  water  a  pint  of  salt  and  a  pint  of 
lime ;  stir  it  well,  and  it  is  ready  to  receive  the  eggs. 

Omelets  require  a  thick  bottomed  pan,  as  an  ordi¬ 
nary  pan  is  too  thin  and  would  scorch  the  eggs  before 
they  could  be  properly  cooked.  For  turning  omelets, 
eggs,  fried  parsley,  etc.,  have  a  skimmer  spoon  with  a 
flat,  thin  blade,  with  holes,  to  let  the  fat  from  the  fry. 

TO  BOIL  EGGS  IN  THEIR  SHELLS,  SOFT  OR  HARD 

Wash  the  eggs  clean,  drop  them  as  wanted  in  a  stew- 
pan  of  boiling  water ;  if  you  desire  them  soft,  let  them 
boil  just  three  minutes  by  the  watch ;  if  only  the  yolk  is 
to  be  soft  five  minutes  will  do  it;  but  if  wanted  very 
hard  for  salad,  sandwiches,  etc.,  let  them  boil  ten  or 
fifteen  minutes.  Then  put  them  in  cold  water,  to  make 
them  peel  easily.  If  soft-boiled  eggs  are  kept  in  the 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


95 


shell  before  eating  them,  they  will  harden  very  much 
from  the  heat  of  the  shell. 


EGGS,  AU  GRATIN,  FOR  LENT 


Boil  the  eggs  hard,  peel  and  cut  them  in  slices,  and 
lay  them  in  a  deep  dish  in  close  circular  rows.  Make  a 
sauce  of  a  tablespoonful  of  butter,  the  yolks  of  four 
eggs,  a  little  grated  cheese  and  half  a  cup  of  sweet 
milk.  Stir  this  over  the  tire  until  it  thickens,  pour  it 
over  the  eggs,  strew  some  bread  crumbs  on  the  top,  and 
bake  for  about  ten  minutes ;  then  send  to  table  hot. 


POACHED  EGGS  WITH  TOAST  AND  ANCHOVY  PASTE 


Toast  six  pieces  of  bread,  shape  them  round,  before 
browning ;  keep  them  where  they  will  be  hot  until  you 
poach  the  eggs.  Take  a  tin  dipper,  half  till  it  with  boil¬ 
ing  water,  and  drop  it  gently  into  the  pot  again,  hold¬ 
ing  it  so  that  none  of  the  water  from  the  pot  can  get 
into  the  dipper ;  keep  it  firm  by  holding  it  yourself  or 
getting  it  held  for  you,  and  break  a  nice  fresh  egg  into 
the  dipper;  let  it  stand  until  the  white  is  firm.  Lay 
each  egg  on  one  of  the  slices  of  toast,  use  butter  and 
salt  on  the  toast  for  both  egg  and  toast;  break  each  egg 
in  this  way  until  your  six  eggs  and  six  pieces  of  toast 
are  used ;  butter  very  freely,  and  serve  hot.  Anchovy 
paste  may  be  spread  on  the  toast  before  the  eggs  are 
put  on,  but  it  is  a  nice  dish  without  it  and  very  suitable 
for  a  delicate  breakfast. 


96 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


POACHED  EGGS  AND  HAM 

Poach  your  eggs  in  a  tin  dipper,  as  directed,  and 
when  done  put  them  on  round  slices  of  broiled  or  fried 
ham.  Many  prefer  this  to  fried  ham  and  eggs. 

EGGS  WITH  BROWNED  BUTTER  AND  VINEGAR 

Put  four  ounces  of  butter  into  an  omelet  pan  over 
the  fire ;  as  it  begins  to  sputter,  break  the  eggs  into  it 
without  disturbing  the  yolks,  season  with  pepper  and 
salt ;  fry  the  eggs  carefully  and  remove  them  on  to  the 
dish  in  which  they  are  to  be  served.  Put  two  ounces 
more  butter  in  the  pan,  fry  it  of  a  brown  color ;  put  to 
the  butter  two  tablespoonfuls  of  vinegar,  pour  it  over 
the  eggs  and  serve. 

OMELETTE  AU  .NATUREL 

Break  eight  eggs  into  a  bowl;  add  a  teaspoonful  of 
salt,  half  as  much  pepper,  beat  up  the  whole  very  hard 
and  throw  in  a  tablespoonful  of  water.  Have  the  ome¬ 
let-pan  on  the  fire  with  a  cup  of  sweet  butter  heated  to 
a  gentle  heat  (fierce  heat  would  scorch  the  eggs) ;  pour 
the  eggs  into  the  heated  butter;  raise  it  as  it  cooks, 
with  a  skimmer-spoon,  turn  in  the  brown  edges,  or 
turn  one  half  over  the  other,  as  it  keeps  in  the  luscious¬ 
ness  of  the  omelet.  Keep  gently  rolling  it,  as  it  cooks, 
until,  when  done,  it  is  round  like  a  small  roly-poly 
pudding.  Omelette  au  naturel  is  the  basis  of  all  ome¬ 
lets,  for,  by  substituting  different  seasonings,  you  have 
all  the  varieties  of  them.  Parsley  and  onion  chopped 
fine  and  mixed  with  the  eggs  is  one  variety;  grated 
ham  and  parsley  is  another ;  sugar  makes  another  class, 
and  so  on. 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


97 


A  NICE  OMELET  WITH  GREEN  ONION 

Beat  the  whites  and  yolks  of  six  eggs  separately,  put 
in  a  tablespoonful  of  butter,  a  spoonful  of  chopped 
green  onion  and  one  of  fine-cut  parsley,  and  mix  with 
the  eggs;  then  put  it  into  a  thick-bottomed  pan,  in 
which  you  have  placed  a  half  cup  of  butter.  Roll  it  up 
as  it  cooks,  and  tilt  the  pan  on  one  side,  that  the  omelet 
may  cook  on  the  other  side ;  roll  up  again  as  it  cooks. 
Do  not  let  it  get  hard  and  brown,  but  keep  it  soft.  Keep 
on  rolling  as  well  as  you  can ;  a  little  practice  will  make 
you  perfect.  When  the  eggs  cook,  butter,  pepper  and 
salt  them,  and  turn  on  a  dish. 


OMELET  FOR  ONE  PERSON 

Beat  two  eggs — yolks  and  whites  separately;  in  a 
bowl  put  a  tablespoonful  of  water,  a  little  parsley,  a 
teaspoonful  of  butter,  and  a  little  green  onion,  if  liked ; 
beat  the  eggs  into  this,  and  whisk  all  very  rapidly  for 
a  few  minutes ;  then  pour  it  into  a  pan,  where  there  is  a 
tablespoonful  of  butter  just  hot  enough  to  color  the 
eggs ;  cook  them  very  slowly,  and  roll  up  the  omelet  as 
it  cooks  until  it  is  like  a  rolled  pancake;  pepper  and 
salt  it  at  the  last  moment  of  cooking,  as  putting  in  salt 
too  soon  makes  eggs  tough. 


OMELET  WITH  PARMESAN  CHEESE 

Break  six  eggs  into  a  bowl,  add  a  gill  of  cream,  four 
ounces  of  grated  cheese,  some  pepper  and  a  little  salt ; 
beat  the  whole  together,  pour  into  a  pan,  roll  up  and 
bake  as  directed.  Butter  it  well  before  sending  to  table. 


98 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


OMELET  WITH  SUGAR 

Beat  six  eggs,  whites  and  yolks  separately,  with 
seven  spoonfuls  of  powdered  sugar.  Flavor  with  lemon, 
and  bake  like  a  pudding  for  ten  or  fifteen  minutes,  or 
just  long  enough  to  set  the  eggs.  Longer  baking  will 
spoil  the  jelly-like  consistency  of  the  omelet. 


OMELETTE  SOUFFLE 

Beat  six  eggs,  the  whites  and  yolks  separately;  put 
to  the  yolks  four  dessertspoonfuls  of  white  sugar  pow¬ 
dered,  and  the  yellow  rind  of  a  lemon  chopped  very 
fine;  mix  them  thoroughly,  whip  the  whites  to  a  high 
froth  and  add  them  to  the  yolks.  Put  quarter  of  a 
pound  of  butter  into  the  pan,  over  a  brisk  fire,  and  as 
soon  as  it  is  completely  melted  pour  in  the  mixture; 
stir  it  that  the  butter  may  be  completely  incorporated 
with  the  eggs.  When  it  is  so,  put  it  in  a  buttered  dish 
and  set  it  over  hot  embers  or  ashes,  strew  powdered 
sugar  over  the  top  and  color  it  with  a  hot  shovel ;  this 
may  be  done  in  the  oven.  Serve  as  soon  as  possible,  as 
it  soon  falls  and  so  the  appearance  is  spoiled. 

OMELETTE  SOUFFLE  IN  A  MOULD 

Break  six  fresh  eggs,  separate  the  whites  from  the 
yolks,  put  with  the  yolks  three  spoonfuls  of  rice  flour 
and  a  tablespoonful  of  orange-flower  water;  stir  these 
well  together,  whip  the  whites  of  the  eggs  to  a  high 
froth,  and  mix  them  with  the  yolks.  Pour  the  mixture 
into  a  buttered  mould,  about  half  full;  bake  it  in  a 
moderate  oven  for  half  an  hour.  When  done  turn  it  on 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


99 


to  a  dish  and  serve  quickly.  This  omelet  must  he  clear 
and  shake  like  a  jelly. 


A  DELICIOUS  OMELET 

Beat  separately,  and  lightly,  six  eggs ;  add  to  them  a 
tablespoonful  of  chopped  green  onion,  and  the  same  of 
parsley,  chopped  fine;  beat  them  into  the  eggs  with 
two  tablespoonfuls  of  water,  and  at  the  last  moment 
a  little  salt.  Have  a  thick-bottomed  skillet  or  pan  on 
the  fire,  put  in  a  teaspoonful  of  nice  sweet  butter,  and 
when  this  is  hot  put  in  the  eggs.  Take  a  broad-bladed 
knife  and  keep  rolling  the  omelet  as  it  sets ;  do  not  let 
it  get  too  brown,  but  roll  it  in  an  oblong  shape ;  never 
turn  an  omelet  over,  but  push  and  roll  it,  as  described, 
then  slide  it  on  a  hot  dish,  pour  a  spoonful  of  melted 
butter  over  it,  and  send  it  to  table  hot.  A  wood  fire  is 
the  best,  over  which  to  cook  an  omelet,  as  you  want 
only  a  blaze;  a  great  heat  in  the  stove  makes  it  im¬ 
possible  to  have  the  eggs  of  the  light  delicate  brown 
required. 


SPANISH  OMELET 

Beat  up  six  eggs  until  quite  light,  add  to  them  a  cup 
of  chopped  ham  and  two  small  onions  minced  very  fine. 
The  onions  should  be  cooked  a  little  before  being  put 
into  the  eggs,  or  they  will  not  be  cooked  enough.  When 
mixed  together  put  it  into  a  thick-bottomed  pan  and 
commence  rolling.  When  it  is  a  light  brown,  give  it  the 
last  roll,  let  it  lie  a  moment  in  the  pan,  then  dish  it. 
Put  fresh  butter  as  it  goes  to  table,  for  the  butter  the 
omelet  is  fried  in  is  never  good  to  send  to  table. 


100 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


OMELET  WITH  OYSTERS 

Break  eight  or  ten  eggs  in  a  basin,  whip  them  np  well, 
add  a  gill  of  cream,  a  tablespoonful  of  sweet  butter,  a 
spoonful  of  chopped  parsley,  pepper  and  salt  to  taste; 
beat  it  again  very  light,  then  stir  in  a  pint  of  chopped 
oysters,  and  when  the  butter  is  hot  put  in  the  omelet. 
When  the  eggs  have  partly  set,  roll  the  omelet  in  form 
of  a  cushion,  which  you  can  do  by  using  the  tin  slice. 
Brown  delicately,  and  serve  with  a  little  melted  butter 
or  some  sauce  you  prefer. 

Grated  Parmesan  cheese  is  very  fine  in  place  of  the 
chopped  oysters ;  also,  ham,  in  the  above  omelet,  is  an 
acceptable  addition. 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


101 


SALADS  AND  RELISHES 


GARNISHES 

Parsley  is  most  universally  used  to  garnish  all  kinds 
of  cold  meats,  boiled  poultry,  broiled  steak  and  fish  of 
many  kinds.  Horse-radish  is  much  liked  on  roast  beef ; 
slices  of  lemon  are  liked  by  many  on  broiled  fish  or 
boiled  calf’s  head,  etc.  Mint  is  liked  by  many  on  roast 
lamb,  and  currant  jelly  is  generally  liked  on  game, 
ducks,  etc. 


MUSHROOM  CATSUP 

Lay  fresh  mushrooms  in  a  deep  dish,  strew  a  little 
salt  over  them,  then  a  fresh  layer  of  mushrooms  and 
salt,  till  you  get  in  all  the  mushrooms.  Let  them  stay 
in  this  brine  three  days;  then  mash  them  fine,  add  to 
each  quart  a  spoonful  of  vingar,  half  a  spoonful  of 
pepper  and  a  teaspoonful  of  cloves ;  pour  all  this  in  a 
stone  jar,  and  place  the  jar  in  a  pot  of  boiling  water; 
let  it  boil  two  hours,  then  strain  it  without  squeezing 
the  mushrooms.  Boil  the  juice  fifteen  minutes,  and 
skim  it  well;  let  it  stand  a  few  hours  to  settle;  bottle 
and  cork  it  well.  Keep  it  cool,  or  it  will  ferment. 

A  DELICIOUS  FLAVOR  FROM  THYME,  ETC. 

A  delicious  flavor  from  thyme,  mint,  sweet  mar¬ 
joram  and  rosemary  may  be  obtained  when  gathered 
in  full  perfection.  They  should  be  picked  from  the 
stalks  and  put  into  a  large  jar,  then  pour  strong  vine- 


102 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


gar  or  brandy  over  them ;  let  them  stay  in  this  twenty- 
four  hours,  then  take  the  herbs  out,  and  throw  in  fresh 
bunches ;  do  this  three  times,  then  strain  the  liquor  or 
vinegar.  Cork  and  seal  the  bottles  tight.  Do  not  let 
the  herbs  stay  more  than  twenty  or  twenty-four  hours 
in  the  liquid  before  straining,  for  fear  of  imparting  an 
unsavory  taste.  This  is  very  useful  in  soups. 

CELERY  AND  SWEET  HERBS  VINEGAR 

Take  two  gills  of  celery  seed,  pound  them  and  put 
them  in  a  bottle;  fill  the  bottle  with  sharp  vinegar, 
shake  it  every  day  for  two  weeks,  then  strain  and 
bottle  it  for  use. 

GREEN  TOMATO  SOY,  OR  SAUCE 

Slice  a  peck  of  green  tomatoes  thin,  salt  them  thor¬ 
oughly,  using  a  pint  of  salt.  Let  them  stay  in  this  all 
night,  and  in  the  morning  drain  them  from  the  salt, 
wash  them  in  cold  water,  and  put  them  in  a  kettle  with 
a  dozen  cut-up  raw  onions,  two  tablespoonfuls  of  black 
pepper,  same  of  allspice,  a  quarter  of  a  spoonful  of 
ground  mustard,  half  a  pound  of  white  mustard  seed, 
and  a  tablespoonful  of  red  pepper.  Cover  all  with 
strong  vinegar,  and  boil  it  until  it  becomes  like  jam. 
Stir  it  frequently  while  it  is  boiling  or  it  will  scorch. 

SUPERIOR  TOMATO  CATSUP 

Get  a  bushel  of  ripe  tomatoes,  scald  them  until  they 
are  soft  enough  to  squeeze  through  a  sieve.  When 
strained,  add  to  the  pulp  a  pint  and  a  half  of  salt,  four 
tablespoonfuls  of  ground  cloves,  same  of  cayenne  pep¬ 
per,  a  quarter  of  a  pound  of  allspice  and  a  table¬ 
spoonful  of  black  pepper,  a  head  of  garlic  skinned  and 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


103 


separated,  and  a  half  gallon  of  vinegar.  Boil  until  it 
is  reduced  one-half,  then  bottle. 

TOMATO  CATSUP 

Take  enough  ripe  tomatoes  to  fill  a  jar,  put  them  in 
a  moderate  oven,  and  bake  them  until  they  are  thor¬ 
oughly  soft;  then  strain  them  through  a  coarse  cloth 
or  sieve,  and  to  every  pint  of  juice  put  a  pint  of  vine¬ 
gar,  half  an  ounce  of  garlic  sliced,  a  quarter  of  an 
ounce  of  sait,  and  the  same  of  white  pepper  finely 
ground.  Boil  it  for  one  hour,  then  rub  it  through  a 
sieve,  boil  it  again  to  the  consistency  of  cream;  when 
cold,  bottle  it,  put  a  teaspoonful  of  sweet  oil  in  each 
bottle;  cork  them  tight,  and  keep  in  a  dry  place. 

TOMATO  CATSUP.  KECIPE  FOE  MAKING  A  SMALL  QUANTITY 

Take  a  gallon  of  ripe  tomatoes,  skin  them  by  pouring 
boiling  water  over  them;  let  them  get  cold  and  put 
them  in  a  stew  pan  with  four  tablespoonfuls  of  salt,  and 
the  same  of  ground  black  pepper,  half  a  spoonful  of 
ground  allspice,  and  three  spoonfuls  of  ground  mus¬ 
tard.  Throw  in  eight  pods  of  red  pepper,  and  let  all 
stew  slowly  until  the  tomatoes  are  soft  and  tender. 
Thin  the  mixture  with  enough  vinegar  to  allow  the 
catsup  to  be  strained  through  a  sieve;  cook  it  fifteen 
minutes,  and  bottle  up  when  cold.  This  will  last  in  any 
climate,  if  well  boiled  and  made  according  to  these 
directions.  Keep  always  in  a  cool,  dark  closet  or  cellar. 
Light  ruins  all  catsups,  pickles  or  preserves,  when  they 
are  exposed  to  it.  This  is  a  fine  recipe. 

FEENCH  CHICKEN  SALAD 

Roast  one  or  two  nice  chickens,  season  them  well, 
and  when  cooked,  put  them  by  to  cool.  Just  before 


104 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


serving  the  dish,  carve  the  fowls  in  small  pieces,  tak¬ 
ing  out  all  the  large  bones.  Make  a  dressing  of  the 
yolks  of  six  hard-boiled  eggs  to  each  fowl,  mash  the 
yolks  very  smooth  with  a  wooden  spoon  and  pour 
gently  on  them  in  a  little  stream  a  cup  of  olive  oil; 
beat  the  eggs  all  one  way  till  they  are  creamed.  Add 
now  a  cup  of  vinegar  to  two  fowls,  a  half  cup  to  one, 
pepper,  salt,  and  drop  a  little  vinegar  on  the  fowl,  then 
pour  on  the  dressing.  Arrange  on  the  dish,  cool,  fresh 
lettuce  heads  quartered,  and  slice  six  more  hard-boiled 
eggs  over  all  as  a  garnish.  A  few  red  beets  are  a 
handsome  addition,  mixed  with  the  green  lettuce  and 
yellow  eggs. 

CHICKEN  SALAD  FOR  A  SMALL  COMPANY 

Boil  four  eggs  hard,  throw  them  in  cold  water;  when 
cool,  take  the  yolks  of  two  in  a  bowl,  pour  over  them 
a  spoonful  of  mixed  mustard,  an  ounce  of  sweet  oil,  a 
saltspoonful  of  salt,  and  a  little  black  pepper ;  mix  this 
carefully,  pouring  in  the  oil  a  little  at  a  time;  when 
it  is  smooth,  pour  in  four  tablespoonfuls  of  good  vine¬ 
gar,  and  one-half  a  teaspoonful  of  sugar.  This  is  the 
dressing  for  your  salad. 

The  chicken  is  supposed  to  be  already  boiled  or 
baked.  When  cold,  pick  all  the  flesh  from  the  bones 
and  pile  it  in  the  centre  of  a  glass  bowl,  or  dish ;  mix 
with  it  three  heads  of  celery,  cut  up  fine,  and  season 
it  with  pepper  and  salt.  About  the  time  you  wish  it 
served,  take  six  or  seven  heads  of  white-heart  lettuce, 
split  them,  and  place  them  closely  around  the  cut-up 
chicken,  and  pour  over  it  all  the  dressing.  This  is  a 
plain  and  economical  way,  but  if  wanted  richer,  it  is 
easy  to  add  more  eggs,  and  trim  the  salad  with  sliced 
hard-boiled  eggs,  over  the  top. 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


105 


A  NICE  CHICKEN  SALAD 

Cut  up  the  white  parts  of  four  or  five  heads  of 
celery,  reserving  the  green  leaves.  Pick  all  the  meat 
from  a  fine  baked  chicken,  chop  this  up,  and  mix  it 
with  the  cut-up  celery ;  lay  it  in  a  glass  or  china  dish, 
where  it  will  be  cool. 

To  make  the  dressing,  rub  the  yolks  of  six  hard- 
boiled  eggs  to  a  paste,  with  two  spoonfuls  of  mixed 
mustard,  a  teaspoonful  of  white  sugar,  and  enough  oil 
to  make  it  perfectly  smooth;  put  this  in  slowly,  a  little 
at  a  time,  and  finish  the  dressing  by  pouring  in  half 
a  cup  of  vinegar.  Pour  this  over  the  celery  and  chicken, 
and  garnish  with  white  heads  of  split  lettuce,  also  the 
reserved  celery  leaves,  and  four  sliced  hard-boiled 
eggs. 

POTATO  SALAD 

Slice  a  pint  of  cold  potatoes,  put  them  in  a  dish, 
chop  over  them  six  eschalots,  pepper  and  salt  them, 
and  pour  over  them  a  dressing  of  two  tablespoonfuls 
of  oil,  one  of  made  mustard,  and  half  a  cup  of  vinegar ; 
it  is  better  without  eggs. 

POTATO  SALAD 

Slice  cold  potatoes,  add  to  them  chopped  eschalots, 
and  season  with  pepper,  salt,  mustard,  oil,  tomato 
catsup  and  vinegar.  Garnish  with  sprigs  of  parsley. 

TOMATO  SALAD,  WITH  OR  WITHOUT  SHRIMP 

Slice  a  dozen  large  tomatoes,  slice  with  them  three 
or  four  sweet  peppers,  then  pepper  and  salt  the  toma¬ 
toes;  lay  slices  of  tomato  and  a  little  sweet  pepper 
until  the  dish  is  full.  Pour  over  all  a  dressing  of  oil, 
mustard  and  vinegar.  A  pint  of  shelled  shrimp  is  a 
great  improvement  to  this  salad,  but  it  is  good  without. 


106 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


JAMBALAYA  OF  FOWLS  AND  EICE 

Cut  up  and  stew  a  fowl ;  when  half  done,  add  a  cup 
of  raw  rice,  a  slice  of  ham  minced,  and  pepper  and 
salt;  let  all  cook  together  until  the  rice  swells  and 
absorbs  all  the  gravy  of  the  stewed  chicken,  but  it 
must  not  be  allowed  to  get  hard  or  dry.  Serve  in  a 
deep  dish.  Southern  children  are  very  fond  of  this; 
it  is  said  to  be  an  Indian  dish,  and  very  wholesome  as 
well  as  palatable ;  it  can  be  made  of  many  things. 

COLD  SLAW  WITH  HOT  SAUCE 

Chop  fine  a  firm  white  head  of  cabbage,  or  better 
than  that,  slice  it  with  a  patent  slicer;  lay  it  in  very 
cold  water  for  an  hour,  then  take  it  out,  drain  it,  and 
when  drained  thoroughly,  place  it  in  the  dish  it  is  to 
be  served  in  and  pour  over  it  the  following  sauce: 
Take  two  cups  of  strong  vinegar  to  a  quart  of  cut 
cabbage,  stir  in  it  one  teaspoonful  of  mustard  and  salt, 
a  tablespoonful  of  butter,  and  three  teaspoons  of  white 
sugar.  Make  this  all  hot,  and  at  the  last  moment  stir 
in  the  yolks  of  two  or  three  eggs ;  stir  rapidly  and  pour 
on  to  the  chopped  cabbage  in  the  dish.  It  should  be 
served  instantly  or  the  sauce  will  harden. 

PLAIN  COLD  SLAW,  WITH  VINEGAB 

This  is  made  by  chopping  or  slicing  the  cabbage  as 
in  the  above  recipe.  When  it  is  soaked,  and  is  cool 
and  firm,  dust  pepper  on  it,  throw  in  a  little  salt  and 
pour  over  it  a  cup  of  cold,  sharp  vinegar.  Sliced  hard- 
boiled  eggs  are  a  great  improvement  if  put  over  the 
cabbage  when  sent  to  table.  Sliced  onions  also  make 
a  good  salad  when  seasoned  with  salt,  pepper  and  vine¬ 
gar.  Mix  a  little  sweet,  sliced  vegetable  pepper  with 
the  onions. 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


107 


PICKLES 


HINTS  ON  THEIR  MANAGEMENT 

Pickles  should  always  have  vinegar  enough  to  cover 
them;  those  intended  for  immediate  use  should  be 
kept  in  wide-top  stone-ware  jars.  Keep  a  cloth  folded 
upon  the  pickles,  and  the  jar  covered  with  a  plate  or 
wooden  vessel ;  they  should  occasionally  be  looked  over, 
and  the  softest  and  least  likely  to  keep,  used  first. 
Pickles  intended  for  use  the  following  summer  should 
be  assorted  from  the  remainder  when  first  made; 
choose  those  most  firm,  and  of  equal  size;  put  them 
into  stone,  or  glass-ware,  with  fresh  vinegar  to  cover 
them;  cover  the  vessel  close,  with  several  thicknesses 
of  paper,  or  a  tin  cover,  or  if  wide-mouthed  bottles  are 
used,  cork  them  tightly. 

Cucumbers  may  be  put  down  in  a  strong  salt  and 
water  brine,  to  be  greened  and  pickled  as  they  are 
wanted.  Keep  them  under  the  brine.  When  wanted, 
freshen  them  in  two  or  three  changes  of  water,  for  two 
or  three  days,  until  by  cutting  one  open,  you  find  it  but 
little  salt;  then  pour  scalding  vinegar  over  them  three 
times,  and  keep  them  covered ;  add  spices  and  season¬ 
ing  to  the  vinegar,  to  suit  the  taste. 

The  vessels  in  which  pickles  have  been,  whether  of 
glass,  wood,  or  stone,  will  never  be  fit  for  preserved 
fruit;  they  will  surely  spoil  if  put  in  them.  After 
pickles  are  used,  throw  out  the  vinegar,  wash  the 
vessels  first  in  cold  water,  then  pour  hot  water  into 
them,  cover  and  let  it  remain  until  cold,  then  wash, 


108 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


wipe,  and  dry  them  near  the  fire  or  in  the  sun,  and 
set  them  away  for  future  use.  Wooden  ware  will  re¬ 
quire  to  be  wet  occasionally,  or  to  be  kept  in  a  damp 
place,  that  it  may  not  become  leaky.  Should  catsups 
seem  frothy  or  foamy,  put  them  in  a  bright  brass,  or 
porcelain  kettle,  over  the  fire;  boil  slowly,  and  skim 
until  no  more  scum  rises,  then  turn  into  an  earthen 
vessel  to  cool,  after  which  put  in  bottles  and  stop 
them  tight. 

TO  PICKLE  CUCUMBERS  PLAIN  WITHOUT  SPICES 

Take  one  hundred  small  cucumbers,  or  more,  if  you 
wish,  salt  them  freely,  and  let  them  remain  eight  or 
ten  hours;  then  drain  them,  put  them  into  boiling 
vinegar  enough  to  cover  them,  and  place  vine  leaves 
among  and  over  them  to  green  them ;  let  them  scald  a 
few  minutes  in  the  vinegar,  and  take  them  from  the 
fire,  but  place  them  near  it  to  keep  warm  and  become 
green ;  if  the  leaves  turn  yellow,  put  fresh  ones  among 
them.  When  green  you  can  pack  them  away  in  jars; 
season  them  at  any  time  you  may  desire,  as  they 
will  keep  well  if  scalded  thoroughly  with  the  boiling 
vinegar. 


j  CUCUMBER  PICKLES  IN  WHISKEY 

Prepare  your  cucumbers  as  usual  by  letting  them 
stay  a  few  days  in  brine,  or  if  time  is  an  object  scald 
them  in  brine,  and  then  proceed  to  pickle  them.  The 
same  brine  may  be  used  many  times,  pouring  it  boiling 
hot  on  each  mess  of  cucumbers.  If  you  have  no  vine¬ 
gar  convenient  drop  your  scalded  cucumbers  into  a 
mixture  of  one  part  whiskey  and  three  parts  water. 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


109 


Secure  them  carefully  from  the  air,  and  by  Christmas 
they  will  be  fine,  firm,  green  pickles,  and  the  whiskey 
and  water  will  be  excellent  vinegar.  Add  spices  after 
they  are  pickled.  If  you  do  not  wish  all  your  pickles 
spiced,  keep  a  stone-pot  of  well-spiced  vinegar  by  it¬ 
self,  and  put  in  a  few  at  a  time  as  you  want  them. 

CUCUMBER  AND  ONION  PICKLE 


Take  a  dozen  fine  crisp  cucumbers  and  four  large 
onions.  Cut  both  in  thick  slices,  sprinkle  salt  and 
pepper  on  them,  and  let  them  stand.  Next  day  drain 
them  well  and  scald  them  in  boiling  vinegar;  cover 
close  after  scalding.  Next  day  scald  again  with  a  bag 
of  mace,  nutmeg  and  ginger,  in  the  vinegar ;  then  place 
them  in  jars  and  cork  close.  If  the  vinegar  seems  to 
have  lost  its  strength,  replace  with  fresh,  and  put  the 
bag  of  spices  in  again  to  keep  the  flavor. 

OLD-TIME  SWEET  PICKLED  CUCUMBERS 

Put  your  cucumbers  in  brine  for  eight  days;  slice 
them  without  soaking;  let  the  slices  be  an  inch  thick. 
When  cut,  soak  them  until  the  salt  is  nearly  out, 
changing  the  water  very  often.  Then  put  them  in  a 
kettle,  with  vine  leaves  laid  between  the  layers ; 
cover  them  well  with  leaves,  and  sprinkle  pulverized 
alum  all  through  them,  to  harden  and  green  them,  then 
cover  with  vinegar,  and  set  them  on  the  back  of  the 
stove  until  they  become  green.  Take  the  cucumbers 
out  and  boil  them  a  little  in  ginger  tea  (half  an  hour 
will  be  enough).  Make  a  syrup  of  one  quart  of  strong 
vinegar,  and  one  pint  of  water,  three  pounds  of  sugar 
to  four  pounds  of  cucumbers,  with  one  ounce  of  cinna- 


110 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


mon,  cloves,  mace  and  white  ginger  to  every  ten 
pounds  of  fruit.  Make  this  syrup  hot,  and  put  in  the 
cucumbers  and  boil  them  until  clear.  When  they  are 
clear  take  them  out  and  boil  the  syrup  until  it  is  thick 
enough  to  keep.  Pour  it  over  the  cucumbers,  which 
should  have  been  placed  in  jars  ready  for  the  syrup. 
They  are  now  ready  to  use,  or  seal  up,  as  may  be 
desired.  If  not  convenient  to  pickle  after  eight  days 
salt  brining,  it  does  not  hurt  to  let  them  remain  a  few 
days  longer. 


PICKLED  EGGS 

When  eggs  are  abundant  and  cheap,  it  is  well  to 
pickle  some  for  a  time  of  scarcity.  Boil  three  or  four 
dozen  eggs  for  half  an  hour,  let  them  cool,  and  then 
take  off  the  shells,  and  place  them  in  wide-mouthed 
jars,  and  pour  over  them  scalding  vinegar.  Season 
the  vinegar  with  whole  pepper,  cloves,  or  allspice,  gin¬ 
ger,  and  a  few  cloves  of  garlic.  When  cold,  they  must 
be  bunged  down  very  close.  Let  them  be  well  covered 
with  the  vinegar,  and  in  a  month  they  will  be  fit  for 
use.  The  above  pickle  is  by  no  means  expensive,  and 
as  an  accompaniment  to  cold  meat  is  not  to  be  sur¬ 
passed  for  piquancy  and  gout. 


SWEET  PICKLE  OF  FIGS 

Put  the  figs  in  brine  at  night;  in  the  morning,  or 
after  being  in  brine  about  twelve  hours,  take  them  out, 
wash  off  the  salt,  and  put  them  in  alum  water  for 
three  hours.  Then  take  them  out  and  scald  them  in 
hot  water  until  heated  through.  Make  a  syrup  of  a 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


111 


quart  of  vinegar,  a  pint  of  sugar  with  a  tablespoonful 
of  cinnamon,  mace,  and  cloves  each ;  boil  half  an  hour, 
and  pour  on  the  figs  boiling  hot.  Repeat  the  boiling 
next  day,  and  bottle  up  and  seal  for  future  use. 

SWEET  PLUM  PICKLE 

Take  eight  pounds  of  fruit,  four  pounds  of  sugar, 
two  quarts  of  vinegar,  one  ounce  of  cinnamon  and  one 
of  cloves.  Boil  the  vinegar,  sugar  and  spices  together; 
skim  it  carefully  and  pour  it  boiling  on  the  fruit ;  pour 
it  off,  and  skim  and  scald  each  day  for  three  days; 
it  will  then  be  fit  for  use.  If  for  putting  away,  scald  it 
the  fourth  time  and  cork  up  tightly.  Plums  pre¬ 
pared  in  this  way  are  superior  to  the  old  way,  with 
sugar  aloj\P 

GREEN  TOMATO  SWEET  PICKLE 

Slice  tomatoes  until  you  have  seven  pounds,  sprinkle 
them  with  salt,  and  let  them  stand  twenty-four  hours. 
Then  soak  them  for  the  same  length  of  time  in  fresh 
water  to  get  the  brine  from  them.  When  drained  off 
and  ready,  allow  four  and  a  half  pounds  of  sugar,  one 
ounce  of  cinnamon,  one  ounce  of  cloves,  and  enough 
vinegar  to  cover  them.  Boil  the  compound  together 
and  pour  it  over  the  tomatoes ;  let  them  stand  twenty- 
four  hours,  then  bring  all  to  a  boil,  and  tie  away  in 
jars,  and  keep  in  a  cool  place  away  from  the  light. 

CANTALOUPE  SWEET  PICKLE 

Take  a  ripe  cantaloupe,  quarter  it,  remove  the  seeds 
and  cut  it  into  pieces  an  inch  square.  Put  the  cut 
pieces  in  a  stone  crock,  and  pour  on  scalding  vinegar ; 
when  it  cools  heat  it  again,  and  return  it  to  the  can- 


112 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


taloupe.  Repeat  this  next  day.  On  the  fourth  day 
take  ont  the  fruit  and  add  fresh  vinegar  to  cover  it. 
To  every  quart  of  this  vinegar  add  three  pounds  of 
loaf  sugar,  and  five  pounds  of  cantaloupe.  Put  to 
them  nutmeg,  cinnamon  and  mace,  to  taste.  Put  all 
in  a  porcelain-lined  kettle  and  simmer  until  the  fruit 
can  be  pierced  with  a  straw.  Pack  it  in  small  jars 
and  keep  in  a  cool  place. 

CHOPPED  CABBAGE  PICKLE 

Put  together  one  pint  of  chopped  onions,  three  gills 
(or  three  wineglassfuls)  of  white  mustard  seed,  three 
tablespoonfuls  of  ground  mustard  and  the  same  of 
celery  seed;  add  a  pound  of  brown  Sty  ^  and  three 
quarts  of  good  vinegar.  Cook  this  compand  slowly 
until  it  begins  to  thicken,  then  pour  it  hot  upon  two 
gallons  of  chopped  cabbage,  which  should  be  shaved  or 
chopped  very  thin.  This  pickle,  is  ready  to  bottle  for 
use  when  it  has  boiled  fifteen  minutes. 

TO  PICKLE  CABBAGE.  A  VERY  NICE  YELLOW  PICKLE 

Cut  four  cabbage  heads  into  eighths,  if  large,  or 
quarters,  if  small;  they  must  be  white  and  tender. 
Soak  it  in  strong  brine  for  three  days  and  scald  it  in 
clear  water  until  you  can  pierce  it  with  a  straw.  Take 
it  out  and  dry  it  on  large  dishes  for  twenty-four  hours. 
Then  put  it  into  strong  vinegar,  with  powdered  tur¬ 
meric,  sufficient  to  color  the  cabbage  yellow.  Let  it 
remain  in  this  vinegar  ten  days ;  then  take  it  out  and 
drain  on  a  sieve  for  several  hours.  Have  the  follow¬ 
ing  spices  prepared,  then  pack  in  a  jar  alternately  one 
layer  of  cabbage  and  one  of  spices.  For  each  gallon 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


113 


of  vinegar  allow  five  pounds  of  sugar,  three  ounces  of 
turmeric,  two  of  ginger,  four  of  horseradish,  two  of 
white  mustard  seed,  one-half  ounce  of  celery  seed, 
quarter  of  an  ounce  of  mace,  two  ounces  of  whole  pep¬ 
per,  white  if  you  can  get  it,  and  four  ounces  of  garlic. 
Scald  the  vinegar  and  sugar  together,  and  pour  hot  on 
the  cabbage  and  the  spices.  Cover  tight,  and  you  will 
have  an  admirable  pickle. 

TO  PICKLE  RED  CABBAGE 

Slice  the  cabbage  and  sprinkle  with  salt.  Let  it 
remain  three  days;  drain,  and  pour  over  it  boiling 
vinegar  in  which  you  have  put  mace,  bruised  ginger, 
whole  pepper  and  cloves;  let  it  remain  in  this  until 
next  day.  Then  give  one  more  scald,  and  it  is  ready 
to  put  up  for  use.  The  purple  red  cabbage  is  the  best. 

CHOW-CHOW  PICKLE 

Take  a  quarter  of  a  peck  each,  of  green  tomatoes, 
pickling-beans,  and  white  onions  (scald  the  onions 
separately),  add  one  dozen  cucumbers,  green  peppers, 
and  a  head  of  cabbage  chopped.  Season  with  ground 
mustard,  celery  seed,  and  salt  to  taste.  Pour  over 
these  the  best  cider  vinegar  to  cover  them,  and  let  all 
boil  two  hours,  and  while  hot  add  two  tablespoonfuls 
of  sweet  oil  and  the  same  of  white  sugar.  Bottle  and 
seal  up  carefully  in  wide-mouthed  glass  jars. 

PICKLED  CAULIFLOWER 

Take  large,  ripe,  full-blown  cauliflowers;  divide  the 
pieces  equally  and  throw  them  into  a  kettle  of  boiling 
water ;  boil  them  until  a  little  soft,  but  not  as  much  as 
if  for  the  table.  Take  the  pieces  out  and  let  them  cool, 


114 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


then  scald  an  ounce  of  mace,  to  each  quart  of  good 
cider  vinegar,  and  pour  it  hot  on  the  cauliflower. 
Spices  such  as  are  usually  used  in  pickling,  improve 
this  recipe,  and  should  be  tied  in  a  bag  and  thrown  in 
with  the  pickle  at  the  last,  remembering  not  to  use 
dark  spices,  as  they  discolor  the  cauliflower.  White 
pepper,  white  mustard  seed  and  ginger  are  the  spices 
suitable  for  this  pickle. 

PICKLED  LEMONS 

They  should  be  small  and  have  a  thick  rind.  Eub 
them  hard  with  a  piece  of  flannel,  then  slit  them 
through  the  rind  in  four  quarters,  but  not  through  the 
pulp;  fill  the  slits  with  salt  hard  pressed  in,  set  them 
upright  in  a  crock  four  or  five  days,  until  the  salt 
melts.  Turn  them  each  day  in  their  own  liquid  until 
they  get  tender.  Make  the  pickle  to  cover  them  of 
vinegar,  some  of  the  brine  of  the  lemons,  pepper  and 
ginger ;  boil  this  pickle  and  skim  it  well,  and  when  cold 
put  it  over  the  lemons  with  two  ounces  of  mustard  seed 
and  two  cloves  of  garlic,  to  six  lemons.  This  is  fine 
for  fish  when  the  lemons  are  all  used. 

TO  PICKLE  ONIONS 

Peel  the  onions,  boil  some  strong  salt  and  water  and 
put  it  over  them,  cover,  and  let  them  stand  twenty-four 
hours,  then  take  them  up  with  a  skimmer;  make  some 
vinegar  boiling  hot,  put  to  it  whole  pepper  and  mus¬ 
tard  seed,  and  pour  it  over  the  onions  to  cover  them ; 
when  cold  cover  close. 

PREMIUM  MUSTARD  PICKLE 

Soak  three  quarts  of  small  cucumbers,  gherkins,  or 
green  tomatoes,  in  strong  salt  water  for  three  days; 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


115 


then  put  them  into  fresh  cold  water  for  a  day  or  two, 
then  scald  them  in  plain  vinegar  and  set  them  by  in  a 
place  to  cool.  Take  a  gallon  of  vinegar,  add  to  it  one 
ounce  of  white  mustard  seed,  two  ounces  of  turmeric, 
three  of  sliced  ginger,  two  of  shredded  horseradish, 
one-half  pound  of  mustard,  three  pounds  of  brown 
sugar,  one-half  pint  of  sweet  oil,  one  ounce  each  of 
celery  seed,  black  pepper,  cloves,  mace,  and  one  tea- 
spoonful  of  cayenne  pepper.  Boil  all  these  ingredi¬ 
ents  for  fifteen  minutes  and  pour  it  on  the  cucumbers, 
gherkins,  or  other  scalded  vegetable  you  may  wish  to 
pickle. 

WALNUT  PICKLE 

Pick  the  walnuts  about  the  Fourth  of  July.  They 
should  be  so  soft  that  a  pin  can  be  run  through  them. 
Lay  them  in  salt  and  water  ten  days,  change  the  water 
two  or  three  times  during  the  ten  days.  Rub  off  the 
outside  with  a  coarse  cloth  and  proceed  to  finish  the 
pickle.  For  one  hundred  nuts,  make  a  pickle  of  two 
quarts  of  vinegar,  one  ounce  of  ground  pepper,  same 
of  ginger,  half  an  ounce  of  mace,  cloves,  nutmegs  and 
mustard  seed.  Put  these  spices  in  a  bag,  lay  it  in  the 
vinegar  and  boil  all  together  a  few  minutes ;  then  set 
the  pickle  away  for  use.  If  the  vinegar  is  not  very 
strong,  add  fresh  vinegar  to  the  last  scalding  of  the 
pickles. 

PICKLED  OYSTERS 

Take  fine  large  oysters,  put  them  over  a  gentle  fire  in 
their  own  liquor,  and  a  small  lump  of  butter  to  each 
hundred  oysters.  Let  them  boil  ten  minutes,  when 
they  are  plump  and  white ;  take  them  from  their  liquor 
with  a  skimmer  and  spread  them  on  a  thickly  folded 
cloth.  When  they  are  firm  and  cold  take  half  as  much 


116 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


of  their  own  liquor  and  half  of  good  vinegar,  make  this 
hot,  and  take  a  stone  crock,  put  in  a  layer  of  oysters,  a 
spoonful  of  ground  mace,  a  dozen  cloves,  allspice,  and 
whole  pepper  alternately.  If  to  be  kept,  put  them  in 
glass  jars  with  a  little  sweet  oil  on  top.  Stop  them 
and  seal  tight,  and  they  will,  if  kept  in  a  cool  place,  be 
good  for  months. 

COUNTRY  GREEN  PICKLE 

One  peck  of  tomatoes,  eight  green  peppers  to  be 
chopped  fine.  They  must  be  the  vegetable  or  sweet 
pepper.  Soak'  the  tomatoes  and  pepper  twenty-four 
hours  in  weak  brine;  drain  off  the  brine,  and  add  to 
the  green  tomatoes  a  head  of  finely  chopped  cabbage ; 
scald  all  in  boiling  vinegar  twenty  minutes.  Skim  it 
out  from  the  vinegar,  and  place  in  a  large  jar,  and  add 
three  pints  of  grated  horseradish  and  such  other  spices 
as  you  please.  Fill  the  jars  with  strong  cold  vinegar 
and  tie  up  for  use. 

TOMATO  SAUCE  PICKLE 

One  gallon  of  tomatoes  and  one  gallon  of  vinegar. 
Slice  the  tomatoes  (green  ones  are  firmest),  and 
sprinkle  salt  between  each  layer.  Let  them  remain  thus 
for  twelve  hours,  then  rinse  them,  and  put  them  to 
drain  on  a  sieve.  Put  your  vinegar  to  boil  with  a 
dozen  onions  cut  up  in  it,  season  high  with  cloves,  pep¬ 
per  and  ginger,  and  when  this  boils  throw  in  your 
tomatoes  and  let  them  boil  five  minutes.  Finish  by 
stirring  in  one-quarter  of  a  pound  of  mustard  and  a 
pound  of  sugar;  then  add  a  quart  of  vinegar  and  bottle 
it. 

PLAIN  PEACH  PICKLE 

Take  eight  or  ten  fine,  nearly  ripe  peaches;  free¬ 
stone  are  preferred  by  some,  but  experience  teacher 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


117 


that  clings  make  the  firmest  pickle.  Wipe  oft  the 
down  with  a  flannel  rag,  and  put  them  into  brine 
strong  enough  to  bear  up  an  egg.  In  two  days  drain 
them  from  this  brine,  and  scald  them  in  boiling  vine¬ 
gar,  and  let  them  stay  in  all  night.  Next  day  boil  in 
a  quart  of  vinegar,  one  ounce  of  whole  pepper,  one  of 
broken-up  ginger,  eight  blades  of  mace,  and  two  ounces 
of  mustard-seed ;  pour  this  boiling  on  the  peaches,  and 
when  cool,  put  them  in  jars,  and  pack  away  carefully 
in  a  cool  place. 

PEACH  PICKLES 

Take  ripe,  sound,  cling-stone  peaches;  remove  the 
down  with  a  brush  like  a  clothes  brush ;  make  a  gallon 
of  good  vinegar  hot ;  add  to  it  four  pounds  of  brown 
sugar;  boil  and  skim  it  clear.  Stick  five  or  six  cloves 
into  each  of  the  peaches,  then  pour  the  hot  vinegar 
over  them,  cover  the  vessel  and  set  it  in  a  cold  place 
for  eight  or  ten  days,  then  drain  off  the  vinegar,  make 
it  hot,  skim  it,  and  again  turn  it  over  the  peaches ;  let 
them  become  cold,  then  put  them  into  glass  jars  and 
secure  as  directed  for  preserves.  Free-stone  peaches 
may  be  used. 

PEACHES  AND  APRICOT  PICKLE 

Take  peaches  fully  grown,  but  not  mellow;  cover 
them  in  strong  salt  and  water  for  one  week.  Take 
them  from  the  brine  and  wipe  them  carefully,  rubbing 
each  peach  to  see  if  it  is  firm.  Put  to  a  gallon  of  vine¬ 
gar  half  an  ounce  each  of  cloves,  pepper  corns,  sliced 
ginger  root,  white  mustard  seed,  and  a  little  salt. 
Scald  the  peaches  with  this  boiling  vinegar,  repeat  this 
three  times ;  add  half  as  much  fresh  vinegar,  and  cork 
them  up  in  jars.  Keep  them  dark  and  cool.  Light 
will  spoil  pickles  or  preserves  as  much  as  heat  does. 
Apricots  may  be  pickled  in  the  same  way. 


118 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


GREEN  PEACHES  PICKLED 

Brush  the  down  from  green  peaches  (cling-stones) ; 
put  them  in  salt  and  water,  with  grape  leaves  and  a  hit 
of  saleratus ;  set  them  over  a  moderate  fire  to  simmer 
slowly  until  they  are  a  fine  green,  then  take  them  out, 
wipe  them  dry,  and  smooth  the  skins ;  take  enough  vine¬ 
gar  to  cover  them,  put  to  it  whole  pepper,  allspice,  and 
mustard  seed,  making  it  boiling  hot,  and  turn  it  over 
the  peaches.  Repeat  the  scalding  three  successive  days. 

PEACH  MANGOES 

Steep  some  large  free-stone  peaches  in  brine  for  two 
days,  then  wipe  each  peach  carefully,  and  cut  a  hole  in 
it  just  sufficient  to  allow  the  seed  to  come  out;  then 
throw  them  into  cold  vinegar  until  you  make  the  stuf¬ 
fing,  which  is  to  fill  up  the  cavity  occupied  by  the  seed. 
Take  fresh  white  mustard  seed  which  has  been  wet  with 
vinegar,  and  allowed  to  swell  a  few  hours,  scraped 
horseradish,  powdered  ginger,  a  few  pods  of  red  pep¬ 
per,  a  few  small  onions,  or,  better  still,  a  clove  of  garlic. 
Mix  all  with  vinegar,  and  add  half  as  much  chopped 
peach.  Stuff  the  peaches  hard  with  this  mixture,  re¬ 
place  the  piece  cut  out,  and  tie  it  up  tight  with  pack¬ 
thread.  Boil  a  quart  of  vinegar  for  each  dozen  peaches ; 
season  it  with  the  same  spices  as  the  stuffing.  Boil  the 
spices  in  a  small  bag,  and  then  put  in  the  peaches  and 
let  them  scald  ten  or  fifteen  minutes,  just  long  enough 
to  be  thoroughly  hot  all  through.  Place  the  peaches  in 
jars,  and  pour  scalding  vinegar  well  spiced  over  them 
— the  vinegar  must  cover  them ;  add  at  the  top  a  table¬ 
spoonful  of  salad  oil.  Cover  the  jar  tight  by  tying 
leather  over  it. 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


119 


MELON  MANGOES 

Get  the  late,  small,  smooth,  green  melons,  they 
should  not  be  larger  than  a  teacup;  cut  out  a  piece 
from  the  stem  end  large  enough  to  allow  you  to  take 
the  seeds  from  the  inside ;  scrape  out  all  the  soft  part, 
and  when  done,  cover  with  the  piece  cut  out  and  lay 
them  in  rows  in  a  stone  or  wooden  vessel  as  you  do 
them.  Make  a  strong  brine  of  salt  and  water,  pour  it 
over  the  melons  and  let  them  remain  in  it  twenty-four 
hours.  Prepare  the  following  stuffing:  sliced  horse¬ 
radish,  very  small  cucumbers,  nasturtiums,  small  white 
onions,  mustard  seed,  whole  pepper,  cloves  and  all¬ 
spice  ;  scald  the  pickles  and  cull  them.  Rinse  the  mel¬ 
ons  in  cold  water,  then  wipe  each  one  dry  and  fill  it. 
Put  a  cucumber,  one  or  two  small  onions,  with  sliced 
horseradish  and  mustard  seed,  into  each  melon;  put 
on  the  piece  belonging  to  it  and  sew  it  with  a  coarse 
needle  and  thread ;  lay  them  in  a  stone  pot  or  wooden 
vessel,  the  cut  side  up;  when  all  are  in,  strew  over 
them  cloves  and  pepper,  make  the  vinegar  (enough  to 
cover  them)  boiling  hot,  and  put  it  over  them,  then 
cover  with  a  folded  towel;  let  them  stand  one  night, 
then  drain  off  the  vinegar,  make  it  hot  again  and  pour 
it  on,  covering  as  before.  Repeat  this  scalding  four 
or  five  times,  until  the  mangoes  are  a  fine  green ;  three 
times  is  generally  enough.  Be  sure  the  melons  are 
green  and  freshly  gathered.  The  proper  sort  are  the 
last  on  the  vines,  green  and  firm.  If  you  wish  to  keep 
them  till  the  next  summer,  choose  the  most  firm,  put  in 
a  jar  and  cover  with  cold  fresh  vinegar;  tie  thick 
paper  over  them. 


120 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


BREAD  AND  YEAST 


BEMABKS  ON  YEAST 

Without  good  yeast  to  start  with  it  is  impossible  to 
make  good  bread,  therefore  I  devote  a  few  moments  to 
this  important  consideration.  There  are  several  kinds 
of  yeast  used  for  raising  bread  and  rolls.  Brewers ’ 
yeast  is  given  to  start  with,  though  too  strong  for  a 
family  bread.  Bakers ’  is  better,  but  not  always  to  be 
had.  A  housekeeper  should  get  a  little  of  any  good 
yeast  to  commence  with,  and  when  she  finds  it  is  good, 
and  is  well  risen  and  sweet,  instead  of  pouring  it  into 
flour,  and  baking  it,  it  is  better  to  thicken  it  with  corn- 
meal,  cut  the  cakes  out,  dry  in  a  cool  place,  and  keep 
the  cakes  always  on  hand  for  any  purpose  to  which 
they  are  suited,  i.  e.,  in  the  making  of  bread,  rolls, 
pocketbooks,  loaf,  cake,  sally  lunn,  or  any  kind  of  light 
biscuit. 

TO  MAKE  BISING  WITH  YEAST  CAKE 

Take  a  heaping  spoonful  of  good  yeast  cake  pounded, 
one-half  a  cup  of  warm  water,  a  lump  of  sugar,  and 
enough  sifted  flour  to  make  a  thick  batter.  Set  this  to 
rise  in  a  cool  place  in  summer,  and  a  warm  place  in 
winter.  It  will  be  light  and  ready  to  use  in  about  three 
hours,  unless  it  is  kept  very  cool.  A  heaping  spoonful 
is  the  proper  quantity  for  one  quart  of  flour;  half  a 
cup  of  lard  will  make  the  bread  better  and  richer.  It  is 
well  to  grease  the  bread  on  top  before  baking. 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


121 


TURNPIKE  CAKES,  COMMONLY  CALLED  HARD  YEAST 

Put  a  cup  of  hops  into  a  pint  of  water ;  when  boiling 
hot,  strain  it  over  a  pint  of  corn-meal ;  add  a  teacup  of 
bakers ’  yeast,  and  when  cool  roll  the  dough  in  flour, 
and  cut  it  out  into  cakes,  and  dry  them  for  use. 


LIQUID  YEAST  OF  PARCHED  CORN  AND  HOPS,  WHICH  DOES 
NOT  TURN  SOUR 

Take  two  teacupfuls  of  corn,  parch  it  thoroughly, 
being  careful  not  to  burn  it;  add  a  good  handful  of 
hops ;  boil  in  water  enough  to  cover  well,  for  an  hour 
and  a  half.  Pare  six  good-sized  potatoes,  and  boil 
them  for  half  an  hour  with  the  corn  and  hops.  Sift  the 
potatoes  (when  done)  through  a  colander,  and  strain 
the  liquor  through  a  cloth  onto  the  potatoes;  add  a 
tablespoonful  of  vinegar,  one  cup  of  sugar,  and  a  half 
cup  of  salt;  put  in  cold  water  enough  to  make  up  a 
gallon.  Put  the  whole  in  a  jug,  having  added  a  teacup¬ 
ful  of  good  yeast  to  raise  it.  Set  the  jug,  without  cork¬ 
ing,  in  a  warm  place  till  it  begins  to  “work,”  then  cork 
it  and  put  it  in  the  cellar,  and  the  longer  it  stands  the 
better  it  becomes.  When  wanted  for  bread,  you  should 
(at  noon)  take  five  or  six  boiled  potatoes,  mash  them 
very  fine,  stir  in  a  teacupful  of  flour,  and  pour  on  a 
quart  of  boiling  water ;  then  put  in  a  cup  nearly  full  of 
yeast,  and  set  the  ferment  in  a  warm  place  till  night; 
then  set  a  soft  sponge,  with  warm  water  and  flour,  add¬ 
ing  the  ferment ;  it  will  be  ready  to  mould  up  hard  the 
first  thing  in  the  morning.  Let  it  rise  till  quite  light, 
then  mould  it  out  in  loaves,  rise  again,  and  bake  in  the 
psual  way*  The  sponge  should  not  be  set  near  the  stove. 


122 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


The  superior  qualities  of  this  yeast  are  shown  by  the 
fact  that  you  never  use  saleratus  in  the  bread,  and  it 
never  sours.  If  the  directions  are  followed,  with  good 
flour,  you  may  be  sure  of  sweet  light  bread  every  time. 


miss  beecher's  potato  yeast 

Mash  six  boiled  potatoes,  mix  in  half  a  coffeecup  of 
flour,  two  teaspoonfuls  of  salt,  and  add  hot  water  until 
it  is  a  batter ;  beat  all  well  together.  When  it  is  blood- 
warm  add  to  it  one-half  cup  of  brewers'  yeast,  or  a 
whole  cup  of  home-brewed  yeast.  When  this  is  light, 
put  it  in  a  bottle,  and  cork  it  tight  for  use.  Keep  it  as 
cool  as  possible. 

ANOTHER  POTATO  YEAST  WITHOUT  HOPS 

Boil  and  mash  sufficient  potatoes  to  fill  a  pint  cup; 
add  to  them  a  pint  of  water,  boil  them  together,  stir  in 
flour  enough  to  form  a  thick  batter,  and  when  cool,  add 
a  yeast  cake,  or  a  cup  of  good  yeast.  Bottle  and  put 
away  in  a  cool  place. 

YEAST  WITH  HOPS 

Peel  and  boil  eight  large  Irish  potatoes.  Boil  a  hand¬ 
ful  of  hops  in  a  little  water,  or  in  the  water  the  pota¬ 
toes  were  boiled  in ;  mash  the  potatoes  fine,  and  strain 
the  water  from  the  hops  over  them.  Put  in  a  cup  of 
flour  to  the  potatoes  before  the  water  is  poured  on,  as 
it  mixes  better  when  dry ;  mix  all  together  and  beat  it, 
then  put  in  half  a  cup  of  good  yeast,  or  a  yeast  cake. 
This  will  keep  good  for  a  week  if  kept  cool. 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


123 


HOME-MADE  YEAST 

Boil  one  pound  of  good  flour,  one-quarter  of  a  pound 
of  good  sugar,  and  a  tablespoonful  of  salt  in  two  gal¬ 
lons  of  water.  Boil  for  two  hours,  and  bottle  it  for  use. 
This  will  do  if  you  are  where  you  cannot  get  bakers’ 
yeast,  or  turnpike  cakes  to  start  your  yeast,  but  is  not 
always  reliable. 


SALT  RISING  YEAST 

Take  a  pint  of  new  milk,  warm  from  the  cow  if  pos¬ 
sible.  Put  in  a  teaspoonful  of  salt,  and  thicken  it  with 
flour  to  the  consistency  of  batter  cakes.  Set  this  in  a 
warm  place  to  rise,  and  make  your  biscuit  or  bread  up 
with  it,  and  some  new  milk,  or  milk  and  water  warmed 
together. 

SALT,  OR  MILK,  RISING  FOR  BREAD,  AND  HOW  TO  BAKE  IT 

Take  a  pint  of  new  milk,  stir  in  nearly  a  pint  of  boil¬ 
ing  water,  then  salt  it  with  a  teaspoonful  of  fine  salt ; 
thicken  this  with  flour  enough  to  make  a  thick  batter. 
Set  it  in  a  warm  place  to  rise,  and  it  is  ready  to  mix 
into  bread.  Mix  the  yeast  in  a  soft  dough  with  fine 
flour,  a  little  lard,  and  a  cup  of  water;  mould  it,  and 
set  it  to  rise.  When  well  risen,  bake  it  a  nice  brown. 
Wrap  it  in  a  damp  cloth  for  a  few  minutes,  and  let  it 
cool  slowly  before  it  is  cut.  This  is  a  good  bread  for  a 
delicate  stomach,  which  is  sometimes  painfully  affected 
by  hop-yeast  bread. 

HARD  FIG-LEAF  YEAST  MADE  WITHOUT  HOPS 

During  the  war  we  could  get  no  hops,  and  found  that 
fig-leaves  were  a  good  substitute.  To  Make  Fig-Leaf 
Yeast. — Take  a  pint  cup  of  the  leaves,  put  them  to  a 


124 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


quart  of  cold  water,  and  boil  them  until  a  strong  tea  or 
decoction  is  made — this  is  to  be  put  away  to  cool ;  then 
pour  off  the  tea  carefully,  leaving  the  dregs  and  leaves. 
Now  boil  and  wash  Irish  potatoes  enough  to  fill  a  pint- 
cup,  put  them  to  the  tea  of  fig-leaves,  beat  them  up  with 
a  tablespoonful  of  brown  sugar  and  flour,  to  make  a  stiff 
batter,  and  put  it  in  a  covered  vessel  to  rise.  When  this 
yeast  is  light  and  frothing,  thicken  it  immediately  (as 
keeping  too  long  injures  it)  with  corn-meal,  until  it  is 
thick  enough  to  be  rolled  out  like  biscuit.  Boll  it  out, 
cut  and  dry  the  cake,  turning  them  very  often  until  dry. 
This  will  be  a  supply  of  yeast  for  several  months.  When 
you  wish  to  make  bread,  take  one  of  the  cakes  in  the 
morning,  put  it  in  a  covered  mug  or  pitcher ;  put  on  it  a 
cup  of  cold-water, -and  when  it  is  dissolved,  put  to  it  a 
spoonful  of  brown  sugar,  and  make  a  batter  of  the  wa¬ 
ter  and  yeast  cake.  Make  this  batter  as  stiff  as  pound¬ 
cake  batter,  and  when  it  rises  well,  mix  with  two  quarts 
of  flour,  and  the  bread  will  be  most  excellent,  if  care¬ 
fully  made  according  to  these  directions.  Use  lard  as 
usual  in  making  the  bread  up  for  baking. 

TO  MAKE  A  LOAF  OF  GOOD  BREAD 

One  large  spoonful  of  hop  yeast,  or  a  yeast  cake ;  put 
this  to  a  pint  of  water,  mash  to  this  two  Irish  potatoes, 
and  stir  all  together.  Sift  in  flour  until  you  have  a  stiff 
batter,  and  set  it  to  rise.  When  it  is  very  light,  stir  in 
a  spoonful  of  lard,  and  enough  flour  to  enable  you  to 
mould  it  into  a  loaf.  When  moulded,  grease  the  top,  and 
set  it  to  rise  again.  If  really  light,  you  can  now  bake 
it ;  but  if  not ,  work  it  down  again,  and  mould  it  over  and 
let  it  rise  again.  This  is  made  plain  and  definite,  for 
nothing  is  more  discouraging  for  a  young  housekeeper 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


125 


than  to  feel  that  she  really  tried ,  and  yet  could  not  make 
good  bread.  This  is  in  such  small  quantities  that  a 
young  person  could  try  it,  without  feeling  that  she  was 
wasting  much,  if  she  does  not  succeed  the  first  time. 
Any  one  who  tries  this  simple  recipe  will  have  the  pleas¬ 
ure  of  presenting  a  nice  loaf  of  bread  to  her  family. 

TO  MAKE  GOOD  BREAD 

Make  a  pint  of  meal  into  mush,  then  pour  it  onto 
two  quarts  of  flour;  when  cool,  add  a  little  salt  and 
warm  water,  or  milk,  and  a  cup  of  yeast ;  work  it  with 
a  spoon,  and  set  it  by  to  rise  until  morning.  Knead  it 
well;  yes,  very  well,  and  make  it  into  loaves;  place  in 
the  pan,  and  when  light,  bake  it.  Add  a  little  lard,  if 
liked. 


A  VERY  NICE  POTATO  BREAD 

To  two  pounds  or  pints,  of  flour,  add  one  pound  or 
pint  of  warm,  mashed  mealy  Irish  potatoes.  Add  to 
this  milk  and  water,  a  cup  of  yeast  and  a  little  salt. 
Make  it  after  kneading  it  very  well,  into  loaves,  and 
place  them  in  a  pan  to  rise.  If  you  desire  a  rich,  short 
bread  you  may  add  a  little  lard  or  butter,  but  it  is 
nice  without. 

RAISED  WHEAT  BREAD  WITH  POTATOES 

Take  one  half  a  cup  of  hop  yeast,  or  yeast  made  from 
turnpike  cake  will  do,  also  two  boiled  hot  Irish  po¬ 
tatoes,  mash  them,  and  add  to  the  yeast  and  potatoes 
one  pint  of  water.  Make  a  sponge  of  this  by  beating 
in  sifted  flour  until  it  is  a  soft  dough.  Set  it  to  rise 
by  the  stove;  when  it  is  light,  pour  the  sponge  in  the 
bread  tray  and  mould  it  rather  stiff  with  sifted  flour. 


9 


126 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


knead  it  well  and  set  it  to  rise  again .  When  it  is  light, 
work  in  a  little  more  flour,  shape  it  in  loaves  in  the 
baking-pans ;  and  when  light  the  second  time  bake  it ; 
this  allows  the  yeast  to  lighten  or  rise  once,  and  the 
dough  or  bread  to  rise  twice,  making  three  fermenta¬ 
tions  the  dough  undergoes  before  it  is  baked  into  bread. 

LIGHT  BREAD,  INVARIABLY  GOOD 

Take  nine  pint  cups  of  flour,  one  pint  cup  of  good 
yeast  made  from  hops,  two  pint  cups  of  warm  water 
and  a  pint  cupful  of  warm  milk.  Make  into  a  sponge, 
let  this  rise;  when  risen,  knead  it  with  all  your 
strength,  work  more  flour  into  it,  and  let  it  rise  again. 
When  it  is  light,  you  must  bake  it  in  loaves. 

EXCELLENT  FAMILY  BREAD 

Take  a  peck  of  sifted  flour,  half  a  pint  of  family 
yeast,  or  a  gill  of  brewers 9  yeast ;  wet  all  up  soft  with 
new  milk,  or  milk  and  water  warm.  Add  a  cup  of 
shortening,  and  a  teaspoonful  of  salt.  Knead  it  faith¬ 
fully,  and  set  it  in  a  warm  place  to  rise.  It  is  better 
to  take  the  dough  when  risen,  and  work  it  down  again ; 
but  some  dislike  the  trouble,  and  bake  it  as  soon  as  it 
rises.  You  must  keep  your  dough  for  wheat  bread 
very  soft;  but  for  rye,  you  may  have  it  stiff. 

SPONGE  BREAD 

Take  three  quarts  of  wheat  flour,  and  three  quarts 
of  boiling  water,  mix  them  thoroughly;  let  them  re¬ 
main  until  lukewarm,  then  add  twelve  spoonfuls  of 
family  yeast,  or  six  of  brewers  \  Place  it  where  it  will 
be  warm;  keep  the  air  from  it,  and  leave  it  to  rise. 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


127 


When  it  is  light,  work  in  flour  to  mould  it,  and  a  little 
salt.  Let  it  stand  for  a  second  rising,  then  shape  into 
loaves  and  bake. 

RYE  AND  INDIAN  BREAD  FOR  DYSPEPTICS 

Take  a  pint  of  rye  flour  and  a  pint  of  Indian  meal, 
scald  the  meal  with  a  cup  of  boiling  water,  and  when 
lukewarm,  mix  in  the  flour  and  a  cup  of  yeast;  add  a 
little  salt,  and  knead  it  as  for  other  bread.  Bake  for 
two  hours. 


GRAHAM  BREAD 

Get  good,  fresh,  ground  unbolted  flour,  and  sift  it 
through  a  common  hair  sieve.  Take  three  quarts  of 
this  wheat  meal,  one  half  a  cup  of  good  yeast,  and  three 
spoonfuls  of  molasses.  Mix  to  a  sponge  with  water, 
work  in  flour  enough  to  mould  it,  and  proceed  as  you  do 
with  common  wheat  bread.  You  must  put  a  little  soda 
in  the  batter  before  moulding,  as  it  is  more  disposed 
to  ferment  than  fine  or  bolted  flour. 

miss  shattuck's  brown  bread 

One  quart  of  rye  meal,  two  quarts  of  Indian  meal,  two 
tablespoonfuls  of  molasses ;  mix  thoroughly  with  sweet 
milk.  Let  it  stand  two  hours,  and  bake  in  a  slow  oven. 

BOSTON  BROWN  BREAD 

One  and  a  half  pints  of  Indian  meal,  half  a  pint  of 
wheat  flour,  one  cup  of  sweet  milk,  one  cup  of  sour  milk, 
with  a  teaspoonful  of  soda  in  it;  three  tablespoonfuls  of 
molasses,  one  tablespoonful  of  yeast,  and  a  pinch  of 
salt.  Put  it  in  a  warm  place  to  rise,  then  let  it  bake 
steadily  for  four  hours;  warm  by  steaming  it  when 
wanted  to  use. 


128 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


CORN  BATTER  BREAD 

Take  six  spoonfuls  of  flour,  and  six  of  corn  meal ;  add 
a  little  salt,  sift  them  together ;  make  a  batter  with  four 
eggs,  and  a  cup  of  milk ;  stir  in  the  flour  and  meal,  make 
it  a  soft  batter,  and  bake  in  small  tins  for  breakfast. 
Some  use  yeast  powder  or  soda  with  this  batter,  but 
that  is  a  matter  of  taste.  If  yeast  powder  is  used,  sift 
it  in  the  flour;  if  soda  is  used  put  it  in  the  milk. 

MISSISSIPPI  CORN  BREAD 

One  quart  of  buttermilk,  two  eggs,  three  spoonfuls  of 
butter,  and  a  teaspoonful  of  saleratus ;  stir  in  meal,  to 
the  milk,  until  it  is  as  thick  as  buckwheat  batter.  Bake 
in  squares  about  one  inch  thick.  It  will  require  half  an 
hour  in  a  hot  oven.  If  it  is  not  nice,  it  will  be  because 
you  have  put  in  too  much  meal,  and  made  the  batter  too 
thick.  But  try  again,  and  you  will  succeed. 

SODA  OR  MILK  BISCUIT 

To  a  pound  of  sifted  flour,  put  the  yolk  of  an  egg ;  dis¬ 
solve  a  teaspoonful  of  carbonate  of  soda  in  a  little  milk; 
put  it  and  a  teaspoonful  of  salt  to  the  flour,  with  as 
much  milk  as  will  make  a  stiff  paste ;  work  it  well  to¬ 
gether,  beat  it  for  some  minutes  with  a  rolling-pin,  then 
roll  it  very  thin.  Cut  it  in  round  or  square  biscuits, 
and  bake  in  a  moderate  oven  until  they  are  crisp. 

RICH  SODA  BISCUITS  WITH  CREAM  OF  TARTAR 

To  each  quart  of  flour  add  two  teaspoonfuls  of  cream 
of  tartar  sifted  through  it.  Put  in  a  tablespoonful  of 
lard  or  butter ;  dissolve  a  tablespoonful  of  soda  in  a  cup 
of  water,  pour  it  on  the  flour;  mix  with  milk,  or  milk 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


129 


and  water,  to  a  soft  dough,  roll  out  on  the  floured  bis¬ 
cuit  board,  cut  with  the  biscuit  cutter,  and  bake  quickly. 
Add  a  little  salt. 


A  NICE  WAY  TO  MAKE  YEAST  POWDER  BISCUIT 

Take  a  quart  of  flour — which  is  about  the  quantity  re¬ 
quired  by  an  ordinary  family  of  six  persons ;  sift  one 
pint  of  the  flour  in  a  tin  basin,  and  sift  into  it  two  heap¬ 
ing  spoonfuls  of  yeast  or  baking  powder.  Add  to  the 
flour  a  tablespoonful  of  lard ;  put  this  also  in  the  basin 
and  make,  with  a  little  salt,  a  nice  batter ;  beat  the  flour, 
lard  and  water  very  briskly  until  it  is  light.  Take  down 
your  biscuit  board  and  sift  on  it  the  other  pint  of  flour, 
make  a  hole  in  the  flour,  and  pour  in  your  batter,  gently 
stirring  it  until  it  is  a  soft  dough;  keep  it  as  soft  as 
possible,  roll  it  out,  cut  it  with  the  biscuit  cutter,  and 
bake  quickly.  These  biscuits  never  have  that  screwed 
or  drawn-up  look  that  most  biscuits  made  with  yeast 
powder  have. 


SPONGE  BISCUIT  WITH  YEAST 

Stir  half  a  teacup  of  melted  butter,  a  teaspoonful  of 
salt  and  a  cup  of  good  yeast,  into  a  pint  of  lukewarm 
water;  then  add  flour  to  make  a  stiff  batter.  Set  this 
to  rise ;  when  light  drop  this  mixture  onto  flat  buttered 
tins ;  drop  them  several  inches  apart  so  as  to  leave  room 
for  them  to  rise.  Let  them  stay  in  a  warm  place  fifteen 
minutes,  before  being  put  in  the  oven  to  bake.  Bake 
them  quickly  to  a  light  brown  color;  they  will  take 
about  six  or  eight  hours  to  lighten,  though  the  time 
depends  always  on  the  yeast,  and  the  coldness  or 
warmth  of  the  weather. 


130 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


SPONGE  BISCUIT  WITHOUT  YEAST,  MADE  WITH  CREAM 

Mix  half  a  pint  of  thick  cream,  four  eggs,  a  little  salt, 
soda,  and  flour  enough  to  make  a  stiff  batter ;  if  too  stiff 
to  drop  nicely,  thin  it  with  a  cup  of  sweet  milk.  Drop 
on  tins  like  the  above  recipe.  Bake  in  a  quick  oven. 

CREAM  OF  TARTAR  BISCUIT  FOR  BREAKFAST 

One  quart  of  sifted  flour,  three  teaspoonfuls  of  cream 
of  tartar  and  one  of  soda  mixed  in  the  flour,  and  a  little 
salt,  two  large  spoonfuls  of  shortening;  mix  soft  with 
warm  water  or  milk,  and  bake. 

MILK  BISCUIT  OR  ROLLS 

Warm  a  pint  of  milk  and  half  a  pound  of  butter; 
pour  this  into  nearly  two  quarts  of  flour  (you  must  take 
out  a  handful  for  finishing  the  biscuit) ;  add  two  eggs 
and  a  cup  of  yeast,  knead  it  very  well  and  make  into 
round  balls,  flatten  each  one  on  the  palm  of  your  hand 
and  prick  it  with  a  fork;  bake. 

NICE  ROLLS  OR  LIGHT  BISCUIT 

Beat  together  one  egg,  one  spoonful  of  sugar,  a  small 
lump  of  butter  and  a  gill  of  yeast,  or  a  yeast  cake ;  add 
to  this  a  quart  of  flour,  and  enough  warm  milk,  or  milk 
and  water,  to  form  a  dough ;  work  it  and  set  it  to  rise. 
When  it  has  risen,  take  down  your  bread-board,  flour  it 
well,  roll  your  dough  out  on  the  board,  and  spread  over 
it  a  tablespoonful  of  lard  or  butter.  Sprinkle  a  dust  of 
flour  over  the  butter,  roll  it  up  into  rolls  and  bake 
quickly.  Rolls  are  often  made  dark  by  allowing  them 
to  get  too  light. 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


131 


VIRGINIA  ROLLS 

One  tablespoonfnl  of  good  yeast,  one  egg,  one  large 
spoonful  of  butter,  one  pound  or  pint  of  flour,  a  little 
salt  and  enough  milk  to  form  into  a  stiff  batter.  Set  it 
to  rise  in  a  warmed  pan  until  it  is  light ;  sift  a  cup  of 
flour  into  the  bread-tray,  and  pour  the  light  batter  in ; 
work  it  well  and  keep  the  dough  very  soft,  which  is  the 
most  certain  way  to  have  light  rolls  or  bread.  Now, 
that  it  is  well  worked,  moist  and  soft,  set  the  dough  to 
rise;  when  light,  make  into  rolls,  and  lay  them  on  a 
warmed  and  buttered  pan ;  set  them  by  the  fire  to  rise 
again,  baste  the  top  over  with  butter,  and  bake  in  a 
quick  oven  as  soon  as  they  are  light.  Do  not  keep 
them  too  long  rising  or  they  might  become  sharp  or 
sour. 


LIGHT  FLOUR  PUFFS  FOR  BREAKFAST 

Take  a  tumbler  of  sifted  flour,  a  tumbler  of  milk  and 
two  eggs.  Put  a  teaspoonful  of  yeast  powder  in  the 
flour  before  sifting;  beat  the  eggs  separately.  Mix  all 
together,  and  add  a  teaspoonful  of  melted  butter  or  lard 
just  before  baking  in  little  fancy  pans.  Put  salt  in  the 
flour  with  the  yeast  powder,  and  then  bake  as  quickly 
as  you  can. 


ROLLS  FOR  BREAKFAST 

Sift  at  night  a  quart  of  flour ;  add  half  a  pint  of  milk, 
a  spoonful  of  salt,  two  well-beaten  eggs,  and  a  half  cup 
of  yeast.  Work  it  well,  cover  it,  and  set  it  in  a  warm 
place  to  rise.  Next  morning  work  in  two  tablespoonfuls 
of  butter,  and  mould  the  dough  into  rolls.  Bub  over 
each  roll  a  little  butter,  and  bake, 


132 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


FINE  ROLLS 

Warm  half  a  cup  of  butter  in  a  half  pint  of  milk; 
add  two  spoonfuls  of  small  beer  yeast,  or  a  cup  of  home¬ 
made  yeast,  and  a  little  salt ;  pour  this  on  to  two  pounds 
of  flour.  Let  it  rise  an  hour,  knead  it,  and  make  into 
loaves  or  rolls. 


RICE  CAKES 

Take  a  pint  of  rice  that  has  been  boiled  soft ;  add  to  it 
a  teacup  of  flour,  two  eggs  well  beaten,  a  pinch  of  salt, 
and  enough  milk  to  make  a  nice  thick  batter ;  throw  into 
the  batter  a  tablespoonful  of  melted  butter  or  lard,  and 
bake  on  a  hot  griddle. 

SALLY  LUNN 

One  cup  of  warmed  sweet  milk  in  a  cup  of  yeast,  one 
cup  of  sugar,  one  quart  of  sifted  flour,  and  four  eggs, 
with  a  cup  of  lard  and  butter  melted  together.  Pour 
this  mixture,  after  it  has  been  well  beaten,  into  a  cake 
mould ;  let  the  mould  be  warmed  and  well  greased.  Set 
it  now  to  rise  in  a  warm  place,  let  it  rise  until  very 
light,  and  bake  like  a  cake.  With  a  sharp  knife  divide 
the  cake,  severing  the  top  from  the  bottom  crust;  but¬ 
ter  both,  set  the  top  crust  down  on  the  under  half,  and 
bring  it  to  table  hot. 


SALLY  LUNN 

Pour  a  cup  of  risen  yeast  into  a  bowl,  add  a  cup  of 
warm  sweet  milk,  one-half  a  cup  of  white  sugar,  and  a 
large  spoonful  each  of  lard  and  butter  mixed  and 
warmed;  also  add  four  eggs  well  beaten,  three  and  one- 
half  cups  of  sifted  flour,  and  a  little  salt.  Beat  all  this 
well,  and  pour  into  a  warm  and  well  greased  cake  pan 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


133 


and  set  it  to  rise  in  a  warm  place  in  winter,  and  a  cool 
one  in  summer.  If  you  wish  it  for  tea,  make  it  up  five 
hours  beforehand,  having  set  the  yeast  to  rise  after 
breakfast.  If  wanted  for  breakfast  make  it  up  at  nine 
o’clock  the  night  before.  Remember  if  made  up  at 
night,  you  add  a  little  more  flour,  or  make  the  dough  a 
little  stiffer,  and  do  not  put  it  in  a  pan  at  night,  but 
allow  it  to  rise  in  a  tureen  or  crock,  and  pour  it  in  the 
pan  and  let  it  rise  a  little  before  baking.  It  must  be 
baked  like  a  cake.  This  is  a  never  failing  recipe  and 
has  been  much  liked. 

MUFFINS  AND  CRUMPETS  WITH  YEAST 

Take  two  pints  of  milk,  four  eggs,  and  a  small  teacup¬ 
ful  of  yeast,  or  a  yeast  cake ;  melt  a  piece  of  butter  (the 
size  of  an  egg)  in  a  little  of  the  milk,  add  a  teaspoonful 
of  salt,  and  thicken  with  sifted  flour  until  it  is  like  buck¬ 
wheat  batter.  Set  it  to  rise  for  eight  or  ten  hours,  and 
then  bake  in  muffin  rings,  or  pour  it  like  batter  cakes,  on 
a  hot  griddle.  Butter  them,  when  cooked  this  way,  just 
as  they  come  from  the  griddle.  Some  like  sugar  and 
ground  cinnamon,  sifted  over  each  crumpet  as  it  is 
baked. 

NICE  MUFFINS 

To  a  quart  of  milk,  one  quarter  of  a  pound  of  butter, 
four  eggs,  and  enough  flour  to  form  a  very  stiff  batter, 
add  a  cup  of  yeast ;  set  it  to  rise  three  hours,  then  bake 
in  greased  muffin  rings.  Split,  butter,  and  serve  them 
hot. 

GRAHAM  MUFFINS  FOR  DYSPEPTICS 

Take  a  quart  of  Graham  flour,  one  half  cup  of  brown 
sugar,  one  teaspoon  of  salt,  two  tablespoonfuls  of  yeast, 
warm  water  or  milk  enough  to  soften  it  sufficiently  to 


134 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


stir  readily  with  a  spoon.  When  it  is  light,  stir  up 
again  and  drop  in  rings  and  bake.  If  made  over  night, 
add  a  little  soda  in  the  morning.  Bake  soft. 

POCKET  BOOKS,  FOR  TEA.  VERY  MUCH  LIKED 

Take  a  cnp  of  light  and  warm  yeast,  a  cup  of  warm, 
sweet  milk,  two  eggs  beaten,  a  cup  of  sugar,  a  spoonful 
of  grated  orange  peel  and  nutmeg;  add  to  this,  flour 
enough  to  make  a  thin  batter,  and  set  it  in  a  warm  place 
to  rise.  If  you  wish  it  for  tea,  you  must  make  this  bat¬ 
ter  up  about  nine  o’clock  in  the  morning,  and  in  two 
hours  it  ought  to  be  full  of  bubbles,  and  light.  Then 
pour  this  batter  into  sifted  flour,  enough  to  form  into 
a  rather  stiff  dough ;  add  salt  and  a  lump  of  butter  as 
big  as  an  egg.  Work  it  thoroughly,  and  set  it  in  a 
tureen  to  rise  again.  When  it  is  risen  it  is  ready  to 
form  into  shapes,  called  pocket-books.  To  do  this  you 
must  flour  the  board  and  roll  out  the  dough  half  an  inch 
thick,  smear  the  surface  with  butter,  cut  into  strips 
about  six  inches  long,  and  two  inches  wide,  fold  them 
over  and  over,  and  lay  them  within  an  inch  of  each 
other  on  a  warm  and  greased  baking  tin,  or  pan ;  swab 
the  tops  over  with  warmed  butter  and  a  beaten  egg ;  set 
them  now  to  rise,  which  will  require  an  hour.  Just 
before  you  put  them  in  the  oven,  you  must  sift  some 
sugar  over  them. 

“pain  perdu/’  or  lost  bread 

Take  a  pint  of  fresh  milk,  and  sweeten  it  with  a  cup 
of  sugar ;  stir  two  beaten  eggs  in  it,  and  season  with  any 
flavoring  you  like.  Cut  six  slices  from  a  loaf  of  bread, 
soak  each  piece  of  bread  a  few  minutes  in  the  custard  of 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


135 


milk  and  sugar  already  prepared,  take  the  pieces  out 
one  by  one,  and  fry  them  in  butter  made  hot  in  a  frying 
pan,  pile  them  up  and  serve  hot. 


INDIAN  BREAKFAST  CAKES 

Take  a  quart  of  milk  or  milk  and  water,  make  it  scald¬ 
ing  hot,  pour  half  of  it  hot,  on  as  much  fine  corn  meal 
as  it  will  wet ;  let  it  cool,  then  beat  up  in  it  two  eggs — 
beat  the  eggs  light;  add  a  little  salt  and  a  teaspoonful 
of  saleratus ;  thin  the  batter  a  little  with  the  rest  of  the 
milk ;  butter  pan,  and  pour  in  the  mixture.  Bake  in  a 
quick  oven. 


INDIAN-MEAL  GRIDDLE  CAKES,  WITHOUT  EGGS 

One  quart  of  milk,  or  milk  and  water,  one  pint  of 
corn  meal,  four  tablespoonfuls  of  flour,  one  tablespoon¬ 
ful  of  salt,  and  a  teaspoon  of  butter;  beat  up  and  bake 
on  a  griddle  or  in  shallow  pans. 


haly’s  buckwheat  cakes 

One  quart  of  fresh  buckwheat  flour,  half  a  cup  of 
yeast,  one  tablespoonful  of  salt,  one  and  a  half  quarts 
(or  a  little  less)  of  milk  and  water  warmed.  Beat  all 
well  with  a  large  spoon,  and  pour  the  mixture  in  a  tall 
jar,  as  in  that  it  rises  better  than  in  a  flaring  or  open 
crock.  In  the  morning  add  a  teaspoonful  of  soda  or 
saleratus,  just  before  frying  the  cakes.  Then  grease  the 
griddle  and  fry  them  brown ;  eat  with  syrup  or  honey. 


136 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


BUCKWHEAT  GRIDDLE  CAKES 

Put  three  pints  of  warm  water  into  a  stone  jar,  add 
half  a  gill  of  baker’s  yeast,  or  an  inch  square  of  turn¬ 
pike  cake  dissolved  in  a  little  warm  water ;  add  a  heap¬ 
ing  teaspoonful  of  salt,  and  half  a  small  teaspoonful  of 
saleratus.  Have  a  pudding-stick,  and  gradually  stir  in 
enough  buckwheat  flour  to  make  a  nice  batter;  beat  it 
perfectly  smooth,  then  cover  it  and  set  it  in  a  mod¬ 
erately  warm  place  until  morning.  A  large  handful  of 
cornmeal  may  be  put  with  the  flour,  and  it  is  by  many 
persons  considered  an  improvement.  If  the  meal  is 
added  it  will  require  an  egg  and  a  cup  of  milk. 

NOODLES 

There  are  few  things  nicer  than  * 1  noodles”  when 
they  are  properly  made.  Make  a  stiff  dough  with  two 
eggs,  a  little  salt,  and  sufficient  flour.  Roll  this  out  very 
thin,  shake  on  a  little  flour  and  rub  it  in ;  fold  the  dough 
over,  and  roll  it  up,  after  which  cut  it  fine  with  a  knife. 
Have  ready  a  pot  almost  full  of  boiling  water  into 
which  you  have  put  a  little  salt.  Drop  the  noodles  in, 
and  boil  them  for  five  or  six  hours.  Pour  the  water  off, 
and  fry  the  noodles  in  plenty  of  butter,  and  they  will 
be  splendid. 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


137 


RUSKS,  DOUGHNUTS  AND  WAFFLES 


miss  lester's  tea  rusk 

One  quart  of  flour,  one  half  pint  of  milk,  one  quarter 
of  a  pound  of  butter,  two  eggs ;  add  mace,  nutmeg  and 
a  cup  of  yeast.  Set  it  to  rise,  and  then  make  up  into 
rusks ;  bake  on  buttered  tins  when  light,  and  serve  hot. 

DOUGHNUTS  WITHOUT  YEAST 

Half  a  pound  of  butter,  a  pint  of  sour  milk  or  butter¬ 
milk,  three  quarters  of  a  pound  of  sugar,  a  small  tea¬ 
spoonful  of  saleratus  dissolved  in  a  little  hot  water,  two 
well  beaten  eggs,  and  as  much  flour  as  will  make  a 
smooth  dough ;  flavor  with  half  a  teaspoonful  of  lemon 
extract  and  half  a  nutmeg  grated ;  rub  a  little  flour  over 
a  breadboard  or  table,  roll  the  dough  to  a  quarter  of  an 
inch  in  thickness,  cut  it  in  squares,  or  diamonds,  or 
round  cakes,  and  fry  in  boiling  lard  as  directed.  These 
cakes  may  be  made  in  rings  and  fried. 

SOUR-MILK  DOUGHNUTS  WITHOUT  YEAST 

Take  a  quart  of  flour,  three  eggs,  three-fourths  of  a 
pound  of  sugar,  and  half  a  cup  of  shortening;  add  a 
teaspoonful  of  soda,  and  mix  to  a  soft  dough  with  but¬ 
termilk.  Eoll  out,  cut  them,  and  fry  in  boiling  lard. 

DOUGHNUTS  WITH  HOP  YEAST 

Take  two  quarts  of  light  hop  or  potato  yeast  sponge, 
mix  in  it  a  pint  of  new  warm  milk,  three  beaten  eggs,  a 
cup  of  butter  or  lard,  one  large  cup  of  sugar,  a  large 


138 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


spoonful  of  cinnamon,  and  a  little  salt;  beat  this  well, 
and  sift  in  flour  to  make  a  soft  dough.  Set  this  in  a 
warm  place  to  rise,  and  when  it  is  light  roll  it  out  on  the 
board  a  little  thicker  than  pie  crust,  and  cut  with  a 
knife  in  squares  of  about  three  inches.  Let  them  stand 
a  little  and  fry  them  in  plenty  of  boiling  lard.  If  fried 
in  a  little  lard  they  will  soak  the  fat,  which  will  spoil 
them.  Throw  them,  or  any  other  kind  of  cakes  you  wish 
to  fry,  into  a  pot  half  full  of  boiling  lard,  and  it  in¬ 
sures  their  being  light  and  nicely  browned. 


PLAIN  DOUGHNUTS 

Take  two  pounds,  or  pint  cups,  full  of  light  risen 
dough;  add  to  it  half  a  pound  of  butter,  one  half 
pound  of  sugar,  one  half  pint  of  milk,  three  eggs,  a  lit¬ 
tle  cinnamon  and  nutmeg.  Cover  it  and  set  it  to  rise ; 
when  light,  cut  it  into  shapes  and  fry  in  boiling  lard. 
Add  a  little  flour  to  stiffen  the  dough. 

CREAM  DOUGHNUTS  WITHOUT  YEAST 

A  quart  of  cream,  sweet  or  sour,  five  eggs,  and  a  cup 
of  sugar.  If  the  cream  be  sour,  add  soda  to  sweeten  it ; 
if  sweet,  put  in  two  tablespoonfuls  of  yeast  powder,  or 
any  good  baking  powder,  and  flour  to  mix,  then  roll  out 
and  fry  in  boiling  lard. 


WAFFLES.  ECONOMICAL  WAY 

Take  two  eggs,  a  cup  of  sweet  milk,  one  cup  of  water 
and  three  cups  of  flour,  with  two  tablespoonfuls  of  yeast 
powder  mixed  in  it  before  sifting;  add  a  tablespoonful 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


139 


of  melted  lard  or  butter,  and  a  teaspoonful  of  sugar. 
Mix  all  well,  and  bake  in  waffle  irons.  This  is  a  nice 
cheap  waffle. 


CRULLERS 

Two  cups  of  sugar,  one  cup  of  butter,  three  eggs,  one 
cup  of  sour  milk,  one  teaspoonful  of  soda.  Flavor  to 
taste,  and  fry  in  boiling  lard,  or  bake  lightly  in  the 
stove. 


CRULLERS 

One  cup  of  butter,  two  cups  of  sugar,  three  eggs,  half 
a  pint  of  sour  milk,  one  teaspoonful  of  soda,  half  a  nut¬ 
meg,  flour  to  roll  thin.  Cut  in  fancy  shapes.  Sprinkle 
sugar  over  them  when  done.  Put  two  pounds  of  lard  in 
a  deep  skillet,  and  when  it  is  very  hot,  begin  to  fry  the 
crullers.  You  will  have  to  replenish  once  or  twice  with 
lard,  as  it  will  become  brown  and  scorched  if  you  do 
not.  The  crullers  should  be  a  light  brown,  of  uniform 
color.  One-half  this  quantity  makes  a  large  dishful  of 
crullers. 


140 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


CAKE  AND  CONFECTIONS 

ICING 

Take  one  pound  of  powdered  or  flour  sugar  (not  the 
common  pulverized)  and  the  whites  of  four  eggs.  Put 
the  sugar  to  the  eggs  before  you  beat  it  at  all ;  then  beat 
till  it  is  stiff.  Spread  it  on  the  cake  with  a  wet  knife, 
wetting  it  in  cold  water  each  time  you  use  it.  Set  it  in 
front  of  the  stove  to  dry,  or  in  an  oven  with  the  least 
particle  of  heat.  The  cake  must  be  nearly  cold.  You 
can  flavor  the  icing  with  rose,  orange,  or  lemon ;  if  the 
latter,  add  a  very  small  portion  of  grated  rind.  It  is 
much  nicer  to  add  sugar  to  eggs  before  beating  than 
afterward. 


CHOCOLATE  ICING 

To  one  pound  of  fine  loaf  sugar  add  half  a  pint  of 
cold  water ;  boil  over  a  brisk  fire  until  the  sugar,  when 
pressed  with  the  fingers,  presents  the  appearance  of 
strong  glue ;  add  six  ounces  of  grated  chocolate ;  flavor 
with  vanilla. 


TO  MAKE  ICING  POR  CAKES 

Beat  the  whites  of  two  eggs  to  a  froth,  then  add  to 
them  a  quarter  of  a  pound  of  white  sugar,  ground  fine 
like  flour ;  flavor  with  extract  of  lemon  or  vanilla ;  beat 
it  until  it  is  light  and  very  white,  the  longer  it  is  beaten 
the  firmer  it  will  become.  No  more  sugar  must  be 
added  to  make  it  so.  Beat  the  frosting  until  it  may  be 
spread  smoothly  on  the  cake.  This  quantity  will  ice 
quite  a  large  cake  over  the  top  and  the  sides. 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


141 


FROSTING  FOR  CAKE 

To  each  egg  used  take  ten  teaspoonfuls  of  finest  pow¬ 
dered  sugar,  and  a  teaspoonful  of  lemon  extract.  Beat 
quickly,  and  allow  at  least  five  minutes  for  each  spoon¬ 
ful  of  sugar.  The  excellence  of  icing  depends  on  the 
purity  of  the  powdered  sugar  and  the  rapidity  of  beat¬ 
ing  given  the  eggs ;  it  is  much  to  be  regretted  that  the 
most  of  powdered  sugar  is  adulterated  with  foreign 
materials,  especially  with  the  white  earth  called  4  ‘  Terra 
Alba,”  which  causes  the  sugar  to  harden  like  stone, 
and  prevents  the  cake  and  frosting  from  being,  as  it 
should  be,  light  and  good. 

BOILED  ICING.  VERY  NICE 

Boil  until  very  thick,  a  pound  of  white  sugar  in  a  cup 
of  water.  It  should  be  as  thick  as  for  candy;  when 
boiled,  pour  it  gently  on  the  beaten  whites  of  three 
eggs.  Beat  this  rapidly  until  well  mixed  with  the  eggs, 
then  flour  the  cake  with  flour  or  corn  starch,  and  ice  it 
with  a  knife  in  the  usual  way.  You  must  use  flavoring 
to  suit  your  taste.  Much  of  the  perfection  of  icing 
depends  on  the  quality  of  the  sugar,  which  should  be 
pure  and  ground,  not  pulverized,  as  that  sugar  is  now 
often  adulterated. 

HOT  BOILED  ICING  FOR  CAKE 

Dissolve  one  pint  of  powdered  sugar  in  two  large 
tablespoonfuls  of  water  (or  three  if  the  spoon  is 
small) ;  set  it  on  the  fire  to  boil.  While  this  syrup  is 
heating  on  the  stove,  beat  the  whites  of  four  eggs  to 
a  strong  froth,  take  off  the  boiling  syrup,  and  beat  it 
to  the  white  of  eggs,  holding  it  high  over  the  pans,  and 


10 


142 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


pouring  it  in  a  stream  on  the  eggs;  then  flavor  with 
lemon,  or  vanilla,  and  spread  it  on  the  cake,  while  the 
icing  is  warm;  set  the  cake  for  a  few  moments  in  the 
oven  to  harden  the  icing,  it  is  then  ready  for  the  table. 


CHARLOTTE  RUSSE 


Boil  one  ounce  of  isinglass  or  gelatine,  in  one  and  a 
half  pints  of  milk,  sweeten  it  with  half  a  pound  of  white 
sugar,  and  beat  in  the  yolks  of  six  eggs ;  flavor  it  with 
vanilla.  When  this  mixture  begins  to  stiffen  as  it  grows 
cold,  stir  into  it  one  pint  of  cream  whipped  to  a  froth. 
Ornament  the  glass  dish  it  is  to  be  served  in,  with 
strips  of  sponge  cake,  and  pour  the  Charlotte  Russe 
in.  Set  it  in  a  cool  place  until  wanted. 


SPLENDID  FRUIT  CAKE 

One  pound  of  butter  washed  and  creamed,  one  and 
one-fourth  pounds  of  white  sifted  sugar,  creamed  with 
the  butter;  add  the  yolks,  beaten  lightly,  alternately, 
with  the  whites  beaten  to  a  stiff  froth,  of  twelve  eggs ; 
stir  in  carefully  a  pound  of  sifted  flour.  The  day  be¬ 
fore,  wash  and  dry  two  pounds  of  currants,  pick  and 
seed  two  pounds  of  large  raisins,  and  slice  one  pound 
of  citron.  Pour  all  this  fruit  into  a  large  pan,  and 
dredge  it  well  with  a  quarter  of  a  pound  of  sifted  flour ; 
stir  all  well  into  the  butter,  add  a  grated  nutmeg,  a 
glass  of  wine,  and  the  same  of  brandy.  Bake  in  a  large 
cake  mould  very  carefully,  four  hours.  It  is  safer  to 
have  it  baked  by  a  confectioner,  if  it  is  convenient  to 
do  so. 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


143 


r  NICE  FAMILY  CAKE  WITH  FRUIT 

Three  cups  of  fine  sugar,  two  cups  of  butter,  five  cups 
of  sifted  flour,  half  a  pound  of  chopped  raisins,  and 
half  a  pound  of  dried  currants ;  flavor  with  brandy,  and 
nutmeg,  or  extract  of  nutmeg,  or  lemon.  Put  the  same 
flavor  in  the  frosting,  if  the  cake  is  to  be  used  for  spe¬ 
cial  occasions. 


CHEAP  FRUIT  CAKE 

To  one  quart  of  sifted  flour,  add  a  teacupful  of  sugar, 
half  a  cup  of  butter,  one  cupful  of  raisins,  two  teaspoon¬ 
fuls  of  cream  of  tartar,  and  one  of  soda,  two  tables 
spoonfuls  of  mixed  spices ;  rub  thoroughly  together  the 
flour,  cream  of  tartar,  soda  and  butter,  stir  in  sufficient 
cold  water  to  make  a  stiff  batter,  then  add  the  spices 
and  raisins ;  pour  it  into  a  small  tin  pan,  bake  one  hour. 

WISCONSIN  FRUIT  CAKE 

Take  three  quarters  of  a  pound  of  raw  salt,  fat  pork, 
chopped  very  fine ;  then  pour  on  a  pint  of  boiling  water, 
one  cup  of  sugar,  two  cups  of  molasses,  two  teaspoon¬ 
fuls  of  cloves,  one  of  cinnamon,  one  nutmeg,  two  tea- 
spoonfuls  of  saleratus,  one  pound  and  a  half  of  raisins, 
also  a  pound  of  citron  and  currants  if  liked,  and  flour 
as  stiff  as  can  be  stirred ;  bake  very  slowly  an  hour,  or 
longer  if  necessary,  as  it  will  bum  without  great  care. 
This  will  make  three  loaves,  and  will  keep  well.  This 
is  convenient  in  the  winter  when  eggs  are  scarce. 

NOUGAT  FRUIT  CAKE 

Make  the  batter  the  same  as  for  fruit  cake,  but  in¬ 
stead  of  the  same  quantity  of  fruit,  add  two  pounds  of 
seedless  raisins,  one  pound  of  citron,  one  of  blanched 


144 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


and  cut  almonds,  and  one  pound  of  grated  cocoanut. 
Pour  over  the  cocoanut  a  cup  of  sweet  milk.  Add  the 
wine,  brandy  and  nutmeg.  This  is  much  admired.  It 
is  an  experiment  of  my  own,  and  has  been  very  much 
in  request. 

RICH  WEDDING  CAKE,  OR  BLACK  CAKE 

One  pound  of  flour,  nine  eggs,  the  whites  and  yolks 
beaten  separately,  one  pound  of  butter  beaten  to  a 
cream,  one  pound  of  brown  sugar,  one  teacupful  of 
molasses,  one  ounce  of  grated  nutmeg  or  ground  mace, 
one  teaspoonful  of  ground  allspice,  one  teaspoonful  of 
cinnamon,  and  a  gill  of  brandy ;  beat  this  mixture  well. 
Having  picked,  washed,  and  dried  three  pounds  of  cur¬ 
rants,  stone  and  cut  three  pounds  of  raisins,  strew  half 
a  pound  of  flour  over  them,  mix  it  well  through,  and  stir 
them  with  a  pound  of  citron,  cut  in  slips,  into  the  cake. 
Line  tin  pans  with  buttered  paper,  put  the  mixture  in, 
an  inch  and  a  half  or  two  inches  deep,  and  bake  in  a 
moderate  oven  an  hour  and  a  half  or  two  hours.  Ice 
according  to  directions. 

bride's  cake,  a  splendid  recipe 

Take  three-fourths  of  a  pound  of  butter,  wash  and 
cream  it,  add  one  pound  of  white  sugar;  beat  them  well 
together,  then  add  the  beaten  whites  of  seventeen  eggs, 
alternately  with  a  pound  of  sifted  flour.  Flavor  with 
lemon  or  rose,  and  bake.  This  is  a  most  delicious  and 
delicate  cake. 

rich  bride's  cake 

Take  four  pounds  of  sifted  flour,  four  pounds  of 
sweet  fresh  butter,  beaten  to  a  cream,  and  two  pounds 
of  white  powdered  sugar;  take  six  eggs  for  every  pound 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


145 


of  flour,  an  ounce  of  ground  mace  or  nutmeg,  and  a 
tablespoonful  of  lemon  extract  or  orange-flower  water. 
Wash  through  several  waters,  and  pick  clean  from  grit, 
four  pounds  of  currants,  and  spread  them  on  a  folded 
cloth  to  dry;  stone  and  cut  in  two,  four  pounds  of 
raisins,  cut  two  pounds  of  citron  in  slips,  and  chop  or 
slice  one  pound  of  blanched  almonds. 

Beat  the  yolks  of  the  eggs  with  the  sugar  to  a  smooth 
paste ;  beat  the  butter  and  flour  together,  and  add  them 
to  the  yolks  and  sugar;  then  add  the  spice  and  half  a 
pint  of  brandy,  and  the  whites  of  the  eggs  beaten  to  a 
froth;  stir  all  together  for  some  time;  strew  half 
a  pound  of  flour  over  the  fruit,  mix  it  through,  then, 
by  degrees  stir  it  into  the  cake. 

Butter  large  tin  basins,  line  them  with  white  paper, 
and  put  in  the  mixture  two  inches  deep,  and  bake  in  a 
moderate  oven  two  hours.  The  fruit  should  be  pre¬ 
pared  the  day  before  making  the  cake. 

CHEAP  JELLY  CAKE 

One  cup  of  fine  white  sugar,  one  cup  of  milk  or  water, 
two  tablespoonfuls  of  butter,  one  egg,  two  cups  of  flour, 
one  teaspoonful  of  cream  of  tartar  and  one-half  tea¬ 
spoonful  of  carbonate  soda;  flavor  with  nutmeg  or 
lemon.  It  is  best  with  plum  or  currant  jelly. 

DELICIOUS  POUND  CAKE 

Cream  three  quarters  of  a  pound  of  butter,  sift  a 
pound  of  flour  gradually  into  it,  and  cream  them  to¬ 
gether.  Beat  the  yolks  of  nine  eggs  light  in  another 
pan;  stir  into  the  eggs  a  pound  of  sifted  sugar,  mix 
well;  beat  the  whites  of  twelve  eggs  to  a  froth,  add  them 
to  the  yolks  and  sugar,  then  pour  this  into  the  pan  con- 


146 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


taining  the  butter  and  flour ;  beat  all  well  together ;  add 
a  little  brandy  or  wine,  and  nutmeg.  Bake  carefully  in 
a  large  pan.  Do  not  have  the  oven  hotter  on  the  top 
than  at  the  bottom,  for  the  cake  must  be  allowed  to 
rise.  Then  bake  from  the  bottom.  This  is  a  superior 
way  of  making  cake,  and  if  properly  baked  is  delicious. 

MAIZE  N  A  CAKE 

Half  a  pound  of  butter  rubbed  to  a  cream  with  one 
pound  of  powdered  sugar,  six  eggs  beaten  lightly  and 
one  pound  of  corn  starch.  Flavor  and  bake  in  small 
patty  pans. 

A  GENERAL  RULE  FOR  MAKING  SPONGE  CAKE 

Take  of  sugar  the  weight  of  the  eggs  used,  and  half 
the  weight  of  flour ;  beat  the  yolks  and  sugar  together, 
then  add  the  flour,  and,  lastly,  the  whites,  having  first 
beaten  them  to  a  high  froth ;  then  stir  them  thoroughly 
together,  put  into  a  paper-lined  basin,  or  pan,  and  bake 
in  a  quick  oven.  The  cake  may  be  flavored  with  lemon, 
rose,  or  vanilla  extracts,  and  a  little  nutmeg,  or  with  a 
little  brandy.  Pounded  almonds  or  grated  cocoanut, 
may  be  added  to  sponge  cake  mixture. 

BOILED  SPONGE  CAKE 

Put  three  quarters  of  a  pound  of  loaf  sugar  in  a  stew 
pan  with  nearly  half  a  pint  of  water,  and  the  peel  of  a 
lemon  cut  very  thin;  let  it  simmer  twenty  minutes. 
Beat  the  yolks  of  eight  eggs,  and  the  whites  of  four,  for 
ten  minutes ;  then  pour  in  the  boiling  syrup,  and  beat  it 
well  for  half  an  hour.  Have  your  cake  pan  well  greased 
and  a  paper  in  the  bottom.  Stir  gently  into  the  mixture 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


147 


%  of  a  pound  (which  is  ten  ounces)  of  sifted  flour; 
pour  the  batter  immediately  into  the  pan,  and  bake  in 
a  rather  quick  oven  about  half  an  hour.  Have  the  oven 
in  baking  order  before  you  put  the  flour  in,  as  sponge 
cake  will  be  tough  if  it  is  not  baked  immediately  the 
flour  is  added,  and  it  should  not  be  beaten  after  the 
flour  is  stirred  in.  This  is  one  secret  of  having  fine 
light  sponge  cake. 

JENNY’S  SPONGE  CAKE 

Beat  ten  eggs  separately,  put  the  yellow  with  a 
pound  of  sifted  fine  sugar  in  a  bowl ;  beat  it  again  very 
light,  and  then  put  in  the  whites ;  last  of  all  stir  in  half 
a  pound  of  flour,  but  do  not  beat  the  batter  after  the 
flour  is  stirred  in.  Flavor  with  lemon  or  orange-flower 
water.  Pour  the  mixture  into  pans  lined  with  buttered 
paper,  and  do  not  place  more  than  one  and  a  half 
inches  of  batter  in  each  pan.  Bake  twenty  minutes. 
If  the  oven  is  too  hot,  be  sure  and  cover  the  top  of  the 
pans  with  a  paper  or  pasteboard,  to  prevent  scorching. 

WHITE  SPONGE  CAKE 

The  whites  of  ten  eggs,  beaten  to  a  froth;  one  tum¬ 
bler  of  sifted  flour,  one  and  a  half  tumblers  of  sifted 
white  sugar,  half  a  teaspoonful  of  cream  of  tartar, 
and  a  pinch  of  salt;  stir  the  cream  of  tartar  and  salt 
well  into  the  flour.  Add  the  sugar  to  the  whites  first, 
then  last  of  all  stir  in  the  flour  very  lightly,  and  flavor 
with  any  delicate  extract,  and  bake  immediately.  No 
soda  required. 

SPONGE  GINGER  BREAD 

One  cup  of  sour  milk,  one  cup  of  molasses,  one-half 
cup  of  butter,  two  eggs,  one  and  a  half  teaspoons  of 


148 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


saleratus,  one  tablespoonful  of  ginger.  Flour  to  make 
as  thick  as  pound  cake.  Warm  the  butter,  molasses 
and  ginger,  then  add  the  milk,  flour  and  saleratus,  and 
bake  as  quickly  as  you  can. 

GINGER  SNAPS 

One  cup  of  butter  and  lard  mixed,  one  cup  of  sugar, 
one  cup  of  molasses,  half  a  cup  of  water,  one  table¬ 
spoonful  of  ginger,  one  teaspoonful  of  soda  in  hot 
water,  flour  enough  to  roll  the  dough  soft. 

GINGER-NUTS 

Take  three  pounds  of  flour,  one  pound  of  butter,  one 
quart  of  molasses,  four  tablespoonfuls  of  allspice,  the 
same  quantity  of  cinnamon,  and  eight  tablespoonfuls 
of  ground  ginger.  Eoll  thin,  cut  out  in  the  shape  of 
the  small  ginger-nuts  sold  at  the  confectioners’,  and 
bake  in  a  rather  quick  oven. 

ANOTHER  RECIPE 

Take  two  cupfuls  of  butter,  the  same  quantity  of 
molasses,  one  cupful  of  sugar,  two  tablespoonfuls  of 
ginger,  four  of  cream,  one  teaspoonful  of  soda,  one- 
half  an  ounce  of  cinnamon,  and  about  one  and  a  half 
pounds  of  flour — or  enough  to  make  a  stiff  dough. 
Roll,  cut,  and  bake  in  a  moderate  oven. 

TEA  CAKES.  CHEAP  AND  NICE.  NO  EGGS 

One  cup  of  butter  or  a  large  spoonful  of  lard,  two 
cups  of  sugar,  one  cup  of  sour  milk,  one  teaspoonful 
of  soda,  some  grated  orange  peel  or  nutmeg;  flour 
enough  to  roll  out.  Roll  very  thin;  cut  with  fancy 
cutters,  and  bake  in  a  quick  oven.  If  you  use  lard,  add 
a  pinch  of  salt. 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


149 


PORTUGAL  CAKE 

Make  a  batter  with  half  a  pound  of  butter,  one 
pound  of  sugar,  one  pound  of  flour,  and  six  eggs,  two 
tablespoonfuls  of  lemon  juice  or  white  wine.  Add  one 
pound  of  seeded  raisins,  or  citron,  dredged  with  a 
little  of  the  flour;  one  and  a  half  pounds  of  blanched 
almonds  cut  fine,  and  one  grated  nutmeg. 

CHEAP  WHITE  CAKES.  FOR  TEA 

Take  half  a  pound  of  sifted  flour,  rub  .into  it  one 
ounce  of  butter,  and  a  quarter  of  a  pound  of  fine 
sugar;  add  one  egg,  half  a  teaspoonful  of  caraway 
seeds,  and  as  much  milk  as  will  make  it  a  paste ;  roll 
it  out  to  quarter-of-an-inch  in  thickness,  or  thinner; 
cut  it  in  small  round  cakes,  and  bake  on  tin  plates,  in 
a  quick  oven,  ten  or  twelve  minutes. 

LADY  CAKE 

One  pound  of  flour ;  1  pound  of  sugar ;  %  of  a  pound 
of  butter ;  whites  of  17  eggs ;  2  or  3  drops  of  oil  of  bit¬ 
ter  almonds.  Cream  the  well-washed  butter ;  add  the 
sugar  and  cream  again;  alternate  the  whites  with 
flour;  flavor  last  of  all.  The  confectioners  nearly 
always  bake  in  a  square  or  long  pan. 

YELLOW  LADY  CAKE 

Take  a  pound  of  fine  white  sugar,  with  half  a  pound 
of  butter  beaten  to  a  cream;  the  yolks  of  eight  eggs 
beaten  smooth  and  thick;  one  cup  of  sweet  milk,  a 
small  teaspoonful  of  powdered  volatile  salts  or  salera- 
tus,  dissolved  in  a  little  hot  water;  half  a  nutmeg 
grated;  a  teaspoonful  of  lemon  extract,  or  orange- 
flower  water,  and  as  much  sifted  flour  as  will  make  it 


150 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


as  thick  as  pound-cake  batter.  Beat  it  until  it  is  light 
and  creamy;  then  having  taken  off  the  skins,  and 
beaten  to  a  paste,  a  quarter  of  a  pound  of  shelled 
almonds,  stir  them  into  the  cake,  and  beat  well.  Line 
buttered  tin  pans,  with  white  paper;  put  in  the  mix¬ 
ture  an  inch  deep,  and  bake  half  an  hour  in  a  quick 
oven,  or  forty  minutes  in  a  moderate  oven.  This  is  a 
delicious  cake. 


WHITE  LADY  CAKE 

Beat  the  whites  of  eight  eggs  to  a  high  froth,  add 
gradually  a  pound  of  white  sugar  finely  ground ;  beat 
a  quarter  of  a  pound  of  butter  to  a  cream ;  add  a  tea¬ 
cupful  of  sweet  milk  with  a  small  teaspoonful  of  pow¬ 
dered  volatile  salts  or  saleratus  dissolved  in  it;  put 
the  eggs  to  the  butter  and  milk,  add  as  much  sifted 
flour  as  will  make  it  as  thick  as  pound-cake  mixture ; 
add  a  teaspoonful  of  orange-flower  water  or  lemon 
extract,  then  add  a  quarter  of  a  pound  of  shelled 
almonds,  blanched  and  beaten  to  a  paste  with  a  little 
white  of  egg;  beat  the  whole  together  until  light  and 
white ;  line  a  square  tin  pan  with  buttered  paper,  put 
in  the  mixture  an  inch  deep,  and  bake  half  an  hour  in 
a  quick  oven.  When  done  take  it  from  the  pan,  when 
cold  take  the  paper  off,  turn  it  upside  down  on  the 
bottom  of  the  pan  and  ice  the  side  which  was  down; 
when  the  icing  is  nearly  hard,  mark  it  in  slices  the 
width  of  a  finger,  and  two  inches  and  a  half  long. 

ISABELLA  CAKE 

Two  cups  of  butter,  four  cups  of  sugar,  sixteen  eggs, 
six  cups  of  sifted  flour,  two  teaspoonfuls  of  yeast 
powder.  Cream  the  butter  and  sugar  together;  add 
the  beaten  yolks,  then  alternately  the  flour  and  the 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


151 


beaten  whites.  Put  the  yeast  powder  in  the  flour. 
Flavor  with  vanilla  or  lemon.  Bake  carefully  in  a 
four-quart  cake  mould,  the  bottom  and  sides  of  which 
you  have  well  oiled.  Always  lay  paper  in  the  bottom 
before  oiling,  as  it  prevents  the  cake  from  burning 
and  sticking  to  the  pan.  This  cake  is  delicious,  fin¬ 
ished  with  a  chocolate  icing. 

A  NICE  CUP-CAKE  RICH  ENOUGH  FOR  ANY  COMPANY 

Take  one  cup  of  butter  and  three  of  sugar;  work 
/this  to  a  cream.  Beat  five  eggs  separately;  then  stir 
in  five  cups  of  sifted  flour;  add  a  cup  of  sour  cream 
and  a  teaspoonful  of  soda ;  flavor  with  a  glass  of  wine 
and  a  little  nutmeg.  Bake  in  a  quick  oven  in  round 
tins,  and  ice  while  it  is  warm. 

CUP  CAKES 

One  cup  of  butter,  three  cups  of  sugar,  five  cups  of 
flour,  one  cup  of  milk,  three  eggs,  one  teaspoonful  of 
soda,  a  little  brandy. 

TEACUP  CAKE  WITHOUT  EGGS 

One  cup  of  butter,  two  cups  of  sugar,  one  cup  of  sour 
cream,  or  thick  milk,  a  teaspoonful  of  saleratus  dis¬ 
solved  in  hot  water,  a  gill  of  brandy,  half  a  grated  nut¬ 
meg,  a  teaspoonful  of  essence  of  lemon,  or  the  yellow 
rind  of  a  grated  lemon ;  stir  in  flour  until  the  batter  is 
as  thick  as  pound  cake,  and  bake  an  inch  deep  in  a 
buttered  basin. 


little  Jessie’s  cake 

Two  cups  of  fine  sugar,  one  cup  of  butter,  one  cup  of 
sweet  milk,  four  cups  of  flour,  six  eggs.  Flavor  with 
a  glass  of  wine  or  brandy,  with  a  nutmeg  grated  into 
it.  Add  a  cup  of  currants. 


152 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


NICE  AND  CHEAP  JUMBLES.  NO  EGGS 

One  cup  of  butter,  two  cups  of  sugar,  one  cup  of 
clabber,  a  teaspoonful  of  soda  stirred  into  the  clabber, 
a  little  grated  orange  or  lemon  peel,  and  a  good  quart 
of  sifted  flour.  Roll  it,  and  cut  in  rounds  with  a  hole 
in  the  middle,  and  bake  in  a  quick  oven.  If  you  wish, 
sprinkle  sugar  over  them,  and  stick  strips  of  citron  in 
each  cake  when  you  place  them  in  the  baking  pan. 
They  are  quite  nice.  Instead  of  clabber,  you  can  use 
sweet  milk  and  yeast  powder  in  the  flour. 

MARBLE  CAKE - WHITE  PART 

Whites  of  four  eggs,  one  cup  of  white  sugar,  half  a 
cup  of  butter,  half  a  cup  of  sweet  milk,  one  teaspoon¬ 
ful  of  cream  tartar,  half  a  teaspoonful  of  soda. 

MARBLE  CAKE — BLACK  PART. 

Yolks  of  four  eggs,  one  cup  of  brown  sugar,  half  a 
cup  of  molasses,  half  a  cup  butter,  half  a  cup  of  sour 
milk,  one  teaspoonful  of  soda,  and  plenty  of  all  kinds 
of  spices  to  suit  the  taste.  Put  first  black,  then  white, 
dough,  until  all  is  in ;  then  bake.  It  is  very  nice. 

FRENCH  LOAF  CAKE 

Five  cups  of  sugar,  three  of  butter,  two  of  milk,  ten 
of  sifted  flour,  six  eggs,  three  small  nutmegs,  one  tea¬ 
spoonful  of  saleratus,  one  pound  of  raisins,  and  one- 
third  of  a  pound  of  citron.  Stir  the  butter  and  sugar 
to  a  cream,  then  add  part  of  the  flour,  the  milk  and  the 
beaten  yolks  of  the  eggs,  then  add  the  rest  of  the  flour 
and  the  whites  of  the  eggs;  add  the  fruit  as  you  get 
the  cake  ready  for  the  oven;  season  to  taste.  This  will 
make  four  loaves.  Bake  one  hour. 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


153 


LOAF  CAKE.  PLAIN 

Three  cups  of  sweet  milk,  two  of  sugar,  and  one  of 
yeast ;  stir  in  flour  to  make  it  quite  thick,  and  let  it  rise 
over  night.  In  the  morning  add  two  eggs  well  beaten, 
fruit  and  spice  to  taste ;  let  it  rise  till  light.  Bake  in 
a  slow  oven. 

EGG  KISSES 

Four  whites  of  eggs,  one-half  pound  powdered 
sugar;  beat  well  and  bake  quickly.  Flavor  with  ex¬ 
tract  of  rose  or  lemon. 

GENOESE  CAKES 

Half  a  pound  of  butter,  half  a  pound  of  sugar,  four 
eggs,  half  a  pound  of  flour,  a  small  glass  of  brandy  or 
wine.  Bake  in  a  square  sheet;  ice  it  and  cut  into  dia¬ 
monds  ;  ornament  with  dots  or  stripes  of  any  kind  of 
bright  jelly  or  preserves. 

FRANCATELLl’s  SPANISH  CAKE 

Put  half  a  pint  of  milk  or  water  into  a  stew-pan  over 
the  fire,  with  four  ounces  of  butter  and  two  ounces  of 
sugar.  As  soon  as  these  begin  to  boil,  withdraw  the 
stew-pan  from  the  fire,  and  stir  in  five  ounces  of  flour. 
Stir  well  for  a  few  minutes,  add  essence  to  taste,  and, 
one  by  one,  three  eggs  and  a  small  pinch  of  soda. 
Drop  this  paste  on  a  baking-sheet  in  small  round  balls 
(the  size  of  a  hickory  nut),  and  bake  a  light  brown  in 
a  quick  oven.  Garnish  with  preserves. 

CHOCOLATE  CAKE 

Half  a  pound  of  butter,  one  pound  of  sugar,  one 
pound  of  flour,  four  eggs,  one  half  pint  of  milk,  one 
teaspoonful  of  soda,  and  two  of  cream  of  tartar  sifted 


154 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


into  the  flour.  Mix  all  these  ingredients  well  together, 
and  bake  in  two  cakes.  Beat  three  whites  of  eggs  with 
three  cups  of  sifted  sugar,  and  add  chocolate  to  taste. 
Spread  a  layer  of  this  icing  between  the  cakes  and  on 
the  top  and  sides. 

CHOCOLATE  CAKE 

Take  one  cup  of  butter,  two  cups  of  sugar,  one  cup 
of  milk  or  water,  three  and  a  half  cups  of  flour,  half  a 
teaspoonful  of  soda,  one  teaspoonful  cream  of  tartar, 
the  yolks  of  five  eggs  and  the  whites  of  two.  Bake  on 
jelly  cake  tins. 

CHOCOLATE  MIXTURE  FOR  FILLING  THE  ABOVE  CAKE 

One  and  a  half  cups  of  sugar,  the  whites  of  three 
eggs,  three  tablespoonfuls  of  grated  chocolate.  Flavor 
with  vanilla. 

RING  JUMBLES 

One  pound  of  butter,  one  pound  of  sugar,  four  eggs, 
one  and  a  quarter  pounds  of  flour,  or  enough  to  make 
a  soft  dough.  Line  a  pan  with  buttered  paper,  form 
the  dough  into  rings.  Bake  quickly  and  sift  sugar 
over  them. 

The  dough  must  be  kept  very  soft,  or  if  not  wanted 
in  rings,  put  in  more  flour,  and  cut  the  cakes  out  with 
a  cutter. 

GERMAN  LADIES  FINGERS 

Beat  the  yolks  of  five  eggs  with  half  a  pound  of 
sugar.  Add  half  a  pound  of  blanched  almonds,  cut 
fine  or  pounded.  Grate  the  rind  of  a  lemon,  mix  well, 
and  add  gradually  enough  sifted  flour  to  make  into  a 
dough.  Roll  out  and  cut  in  strips  the  length  and  size 
of  the  forefinger;  wet  them  with  the  beaten  white  of 
two  eggs,  and  bake. 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


155 


LADY  FINGERS 

Four,  eggs,  half  a  pound  of  sugar,  half  a  pound  of 
flour.  Flavor  to  taste.  Drop  by  teaspoonfuls,  and 
bake  quickly. 


CITRON  CAKE 

One  pound  of  butter,  one  pound  of  sugar,  one  pound 
of  flour,  and  eight  eggs.  Add  to  this  batter  one  pound 
of  blanched  almonds,  cut  small,  and  half  a  pound  of 
sliced  citron  dredged  with  flour ;  beat  all  up  well.  Beat 
in  a  half  teaspoonful  of  soda,  moistened  with  sweet 
milk,  or  if  preferred,  a  tablespoonful  of  yeast  powder, 
rubbed  in  the  flour  before  mixing.  Beat  this  mixture 
well,  and  bake  it  in  a  cake-pan ;  put  buttered  paper  in 
the  bottom  of  the  pan,  and  cover  the  top  of  the  cake 
with  something  to  protect  it  from  the  heat  of  the 
stove,  until  the  bottom  is  nearly  done.  This  is  the  best 
way  to  cook  all  delicate  cakes. 

LOUISIANA  HARD-TIMES  CAKE 

Cream  half  a  pound  of  butter,  with  one  pound  of 
sifted  sugar.  Add  to  this  the  beaten  yolks  of  six  eggs. 
Beat  this  again,  and  set  it  by  until  you  beat  the  whites 
of  the  eggs  to  a  stiff  froth.  Sift  a  pound  of  flour,  and 
put  into  it  two  teaspoonfuls  of  yeast  powder.  Then 
pour  in  alternately  a  little  flour  and  beaten  eggs  until 
all  is  used.  Then  mix  in  a  cup  of  cold  water  and  two 
teaspoonfuls  of  brandy,  wine  or  extract  of  lemon.  But¬ 
ter  a  four-quart  cake-pan  or  mould,  have  the  oven 
ready,  and  pour  in  the  mixture,  and  bake  immediately. 
Cover  the  top  of  the  cake  while  baking.  When  done 
you  will  have  a  nice  cake,  and  one  that  is  very  inex¬ 
pensive. 


156 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


INDIAN  BREAKFAST  CAKES 

Take  a  quart  of  milk  scalding  hot;  stir  into  it  as 
much  corn-meal  as  will  make  a  thick  hatter,  add  of 
salt  and  saleratus  in  fine  powder,  each  a  teaspoonful, 
and  when  a  little  cooled,  two  well-beaten  eggs;  bake 
in  buttered  pans,  in  a  quick  oven.  This  is  a  nice  break¬ 
fast  cake. 


DELICATE  CAKE  OF  CORN  STARCH 

Take  half  a  pound  of  sugar,  one-fourth  of  a  pound  of 
butter,  the  whites  of  eight  eggs,  and  a  quarter  of  a 
pound  of  corn  starch  mixed  with  quarter  of  a  pound  of 
common  flour.  Beat  all  very  light,  add  to  the  flour  a 
teaspoonful  of  cream  of  tartar,  and  a  half-spoon  of 
fine  soda  (not  saleratus).  Flavor  with  lemon  or  rose. 

SODA  TEACAKES  WITHOUT  EGGS 

Take  half  a  pound  of  sugar,  and  half  a  pound  of 
butter;  beat  it  to  a  cream.  Dissolve  a  teaspoonful  of 
fine  soda  in  a  cup  of  milk,  and  pour  it  into  the  batter, 
half  a  nutmeg  and  flour  to  make  a  staff  batter.  Bake 
in  tin  squares  or  a  shallow  pan,  cook  twenty  minutes. 

A  VERY  GOOD  CHEAP  CAKE 

One  cup  of  butter,  one  and  a  half  cups  of  brown 
sugar,  one  cup  of  milk,  sweet  or  sour,  yeast  powder 
or  soda — if  yeast  powder  is  used,  put  two  teaspoon¬ 
fuls;  if  soda,  put  one  heaping  teaspoonful — one  cup 
of  molasses,  four  eggs,  one  nutmeg,  one  pound  of 
raisins,  five  cups  of  flour. 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


157 


TRIFLES 

Beat  two  or  three  fresh  eggs  a  few  minutes,  add  a 
saltspoonful  of  salt,  and  enough  of  sifted  flour  to  make 
into  a  stiff  paste ;  roll  very  thin ;  cut  into  small  round 
cakes;  fry  in  boiling  lard,  and  sprinkle  sugar  over 
them.  They  are  a  delicious  dish  for  tea. 

A  NICE  MOLASSES  CAKE 

One  cup  of  molasses,  one  and  a  half  cups  of  sugar, 
one  cup  of  butter,  four  eggs,  a  cup  of  sour  milk  and 
heaping-spoonful  of  soda.  If  desirable,  you  may  add 
one  pound  of  seeded  and  chopped  raisins,  or  the  same 
of  currants ;  grease  the  pan  carefully  as  molasses  cake 
is  liable  to  stick,  and  is  always  more  difficult  to  get 
out  of  the  pan  than  sugar  cakes.  You  may  add  flour 
to  roll  it  out  like  biscuit  if  you  wish,  or  it  is  better 
made  only  as  thick  as  pound-cake  batter,  and  baked  in 
a  pan  like  that  cake.  Make  the  batter  stiff  with  flour, 
as  it  turns  out  better  than  when  soft. 

SILVER  CAKE 

Cream  two  coffee-cups  of  butter  with  two  pints  of 
fine  white  sugar;  add  the  beaten  whites  of  eighteen 
eggs,  and  four  pints  of  flour — one  of  these  pints  must 
be  maizena  or  corn  starch  flour,  as  that  gives  a  delicacy 
which  common  wheat  flour  cannot.  You  must  thin  this 
mixture  gradually  as  you  beat  in  the  flour  and  eggs,  by 
pouring  in  two  coffee-cups  of  water.  Flavor  with 
almond,  and  bake  in  a  large  pan.  When  you  sift  the 
flour  you  must  add  to  it  two  teaspoonfuls  of  yeast 
powder. 


n 


158 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


SILVER  CAKE 

Two  pints  of  sugar  and  two  cups  of  butter;  cream 
the  butter  and  sugar  together.  Add  two  cups  of  cold 
water ;  beat  to  a  froth  the  whites  of  eighteen  eggs,  mix 
them  with  the  butter  and  sugar,  four  pints  of  flour,  and 
two  teaspoonfuls  of  yeast  powder ;  mix  flour  and  yeast 
powder  together,  and  stir  gently  into  the  batter.  Flavor 
with  almond.  For  a  small  cake  take  half  the  quantity 
of  ingredients.  It  makes  a  nicer  cake  to  allow  one  of 
the  pints  of  flour  to  be  corn  starch,  instead  of  common 
flour. 


SUPERIOR  GOLD  CAKE 

Take  half  a  pound  of  butter,  one  pound  of  sugar, 
one  pound  of  flour,  the  yolks  of  ten  eggs,  one  teaspoon¬ 
ful  of  soda  mixed  with  a  little  hot  water.  Cream  the 
butter  and  sugar  together;  beat  the  eggs  light,  and  add 
them  to  the  butter  and  sugar.  Then  stir  in  the  flour 
and  soda. 


CHEAP  AND  RELIABLE  GOLD  AND  SILVER  CAKE 

Two  cups  of  butter  and  four  of  sugar  creamed  to¬ 
gether,  two  cups  of  sweet  milk,  or  water,  if  you  have 
no  milk;  eight  cups  of  sifted  flour  well  mixed  with  four 
teaspoonfuls  of  cream  of  tartar,  and  two  of  soda ;  beat 
separately  the  yolks  and  whites  of  eight  eggs.  Take 
half  the  batter;  use  the  yolks  for  the  gold  cake,  and 
the  whites  for  the  silver  cake.  Flavor  differently,  as 
with  rose  and  lemon. 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


159 


SUPERIOR  SILVER  CAKE 

Take  half  a  pound  of  butter,  one  pound  of  sugar, 
three-quarters  of  a  pound  of  flour,  the  whites  of  ten 
eggs  beaten  to  a  froth.  Cream  the  butter  and  sugar 
together,  then  add  the  eggs,  and  lastly,  stir  in  the  flour. 

COCOANUT  SILVER  CAKE 

Cream  one  cup  of  butter  and  two  cups  of  sugar,  add 
a  cup  of  milk,  the  whites  of  six  eggs,  and  three  cups  of 
sifted  flour  with  one  teaspoonful  of  cream  of  tartar, 
and  half  a  teaspoonful  of  soda  mixed  in  the  flour.  Grate 
a  small  cocoanut,  dry  it  in  a  skillet  over  the  fire  by 
stirring  it  about  ten  minutes.  Stir  the  cocoanut  into 
the  batter.  Bake  in  a  moderate  oven  about  three- 
quarters  of  an  hour. 

COCOANUT  CAKES 

Grate  a  cocoanut,  place  it  in  a  skillet  over  the  fire, 
and  stir  until  it  is  as  dry  as  flour.  Beat  one  cup  of 
sugar  and  the  white  of  an  egg  to  a  froth.  Mix  well, 
and  make  into  small  cakes ;  put  them  on  buttered  paper 
and  bake.  The  oven  should  not  be  very  hot. 

COCOANUT  CAKES 

Take  a  cocoanut,  pare  it  and  grate  half  a  pound; 
allow  the  same  quantity  of  loaf  sugar.  Dissolve  the 
sugar  in  two  tablespoonfuls  of  water,  place  it  on  the 
fire ;  when  the  syrup  is  boiling  hot,  stir  in  the  cocoanut. 
Continue  to  stir  it  until  it  is  thick  like  candy,  then  pour 
it  out  on  a  buttered  pan,  and  cut  it  across  in  shapes, 
or  use  a  round  cake  cutter. 

COCOANUT  POUND  CAKE 

Take  three  coffee-cupfuls  of  flour,  one  of  butter,  and 
two  of  white  sugar;  one  cupful  of  milk;  the  whites  of 


160 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


six  eggs ;  one  teaspoonful  of  cream  of  tartar ;  one-half 
teaspoonful  of  carbonate  of  soda;  grated  cocoanut — 
a  small  one.  The  cocoanut  should  be  laid  in  water  as 
soon  as  the  shell  is  broken ;  take  out  a  piece  at  a  time 
to  pare  it ;  lay  it  in  a  dry  cloth  as  soon  as  pared,  and 
cover  it  up,  that  the  air  may  be  kept  out  and  the  mois¬ 
ture  absorbed.  If  the  cocoanut  goes  in  wet  it  will  make 
the  cake  heavy.  Cream  the  butter ;  add  the  sugar,  and 
beat  well;  then  put  in  the  milk,  slowly;  the  whites  of 
the  eggs,  well  beaten,  alternately  with  flour ;  the  co¬ 
coanut  last  of  all.  One-half  of  this  quantity  makes  a 
good-sized  cake.  Bake  in  a  moderate  oven;  increase 
the  heat  at  the  last.  It  takes  about  one-half  or  three- 
quarters  of  an  hour  to  bake. 

COCOANUT  CAKE 

Make  a  batter  of  one  cup  of  butter,  two  cups  of 
sugar,  three  cups  of  flour  and  four  eggs.  Bake  in  jelly 
cake  pans.  Spread  a  layer  of  icing  between  each  cake 
with  grated  cocoanut  on  top  of  the  icing;  finally,  or¬ 
nament  the  top  with  a  thick  layer  of  cocoanut. 

COCOANUT  DROPS 

Take  a  grated  cocoanut,  the  beaten  whites  of  four 
eggs,  and  half  a  pound  of  white  sugar ;  flavor,  mix,  and 
bake  on  paper  in  drops. 

PECAN  CAKE 

Half  a  cup  of  butter,  one  and  one-half  cups  of  sugar, 
two  eggs,  three-quarters  of  a  cup  of  sweet  milk,  two 
cups  of  sifted  flour,  one  and  one-half  teaspoonfuls  of 
soda,  and  one  teaspoonful  of  cream  of  tartar  in  the 
flour,  one  cup  of  pecans  picked  out  and  cut  fine.  Bake 
j,n  a  smajl  cake  pan. 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


161 


WINE  CAKES 

One-quarter  pound  of  butter,  one-half  pound  of 
sugar,  one  egg,  a  few  drops  of  essence  of  lemon,  and  a 
good  half  pound  of  flour.  Mix,  roll  thin,  and  cut  out 
in  round  cakes.  They  are  very  nice  with  wine. 

NAPLES  BISCUIT 

Beat  four  eggs  light ;  add  half  a  pound  of  fine  white 
sugar,  and  half  a  pound  of  sifted  flour.  Flavor  with 
essence  of  lemon. 


SHREWSBURY  CAKE 

Beat  to  a  cream  half  a  pound  of  butter,  and  three- 
quarters  of  a  pound  of  sugar ;  add  five  well  beaten  eggs, 
a  nutmeg,  some  essence,  and  about  a  quart  of  flour. 
Sift  the  flour,  mix  it  well,  and  drop  the  mixture  with 
a  spoon  on  buttered  tins.  Add  currants  if  you  wish. 

COFFEE  CAKE 

One  cup  of  butter,  two  cups  of  sugar,  one  cup  of 
molasses,  one  cup  of  strong  coffee,  two  eggs,  five  cups 
of  flour,  one  teaspoonful  of  soda,  one  cup  of  currants, 
one  cup  of  raisins.  Spice  to  taste. 

NICE  DROP  CAKES 

One-half  pound  sugar,  one-quarter  pound  of  butter 
creamed  together,  four  well  beaten  eggs,  one-half  pound 
of  currants,  a  spoonful  of  brandy,  grated  nutmeg  or 
lemon  peel,  and  flour  sufficient  for  a  stiff  batter.  Beat 
well.  Drop  by  spoonfuls  on  buttered  tins  and  bake  in 
a  quick  oven.  They  are  light  and  tender. 


162 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


DIAMOND  BACHELORS 

Biscuit  dough  rolled  thin,  cut  into  diamonds  and 
boiled  in  lard.  Ladies  are  very  fond  of  them. 

VELVET  CAKE 

One  cup  of  yeast,  three  eggs  well  beaten,  one  quart 
of  warm  milk,  one  quart  of  sifted  flour,  salt,  a  large 
spoonful  of  butter  well  beaten;  let  it  rise.  Pour  into 
greased  muffin  rings  and  bake. 

DELICATE  CAKE 

Two  eggs,  two  cups  of  sugar,  half  a  cup  of  butter, 
one  cup  of  sweet  milk,  three  cups  of  flour,  one  tea¬ 
spoonful  of  cream  of  tartar,  half  a  teaspoonful  of  soda. 
Bake  in  squares. 


LITTLE  DROP  CAKES 

Half  a  pound  of  sugar,  four  eggs,  half  a  pound  of 
flour;  quarter  of  a  pound  of  butter. 

CREAM  CAKES 

Boil  a  cup  of  butter  with  a  half  pint  of  water;  while 
it  is  boiling,  stir  in  two  cups  of  sifted  flour ;  let  it  cool, 
and  when  cool,  add  five  eggs  well  beaten,  and  a  quarter 
of  a  spoonful  of  soda  dry.  Drop  this  mixture  with  a 
teaspoon  on  tins  and  bake  in  a  quick  oven. 

FOR  THE  INSIDE  OF  THE  CAKES 

Take  a  pint  of  milk,  one-half  a  cup  of  flour,  one  cup 
of  sugar  and  two  eggs.  Boil  the  milk  and  flour  to¬ 
gether,  add  the  eggs  and  sugar ;  flavor  the  custard  with 
lemon.  Now,  you  must  take  the  first  or  outside  cakes, 
and  split  each  one  gently,  so  as  to  place  in  it  the  cream 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


163 


or  custard,  which  must  be  cold  before  you  introduce  it. 
Put  into  each  cake  about  a  teaspoonful  of  the  cream. 
These  are  delicious.  One-half  this  quantity  makes  a 
large  dishful  of  cakes. 

ANOTHER  CREAM  CAKE  WITH  CRUST  AND  CREAM 

Crust. — Three-quarter  pint  of  water,  half  a  pint  of 
butter,  three-quarters  of  a  pound  of  flour,  eight  eggs, 
boil  the  water  and  butter  together,  and  while  boiling 
stir  in  the  flour,  take  it  off  and  let  it  cool,  then  add 
your  eggs  (beaten  separately),  and  a  teaspoonful  of 
dry  soda.  Use  about  a  spoonful  of  the  crust  for  each 
puff;  bake  on  tins  for  about  twenty  minutes.  When 
done  cut  the  crust  open  and  put  in  the  cream. 

Cream. — Two  pints  of  milk,  one  cup  of  flour,  two 
cups  of  sugar,  four  eggs ;  while  the  milk  is  boiling  add 
your  flour,  sugar  and  eggs  (previously  well  beaten  to¬ 
gether),  let  it  cook  until  it  begins  to  thicken,  take  it 
off,  and  flavor  with  rose  water. 

TIPSY  CAKE 

Place  a  sponge  cake  weighing  about  a  pound  in  a 
glass  bowl,  pour  over  it  half  a  pint  of  sherry  and 
Madeira  (mixed).  Make  a  rich  custard  of  six  eggs 
and  a  quart  of  milk,  sweeten  to  taste,  flavor  and  let  it 
cool.  Blanch  half  a  pound  of  almonds,  stick  them  in 
the  top  of  the  sponge  cake  and  pour  over  it  the  custard. 

PLAIN  TEA  CAKES 

Half  a  cup  of  butter,  or  a  large  spoonful  of  lard,  one 
and  a  half  cups  of  sugar,  one  teacupful  of  milk,  one 
teaspoonful  of  soda,  seven  cupfuls  of  sifted  flour.  Roll 
thin. 


164 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


EASY  CAKE  FOR  YOUNG  COOKS 

Take  two  cups  of  flour,  sift  it  and  to  each  cup  put  a 
teaspoonful  of  yeast  powder.  Beat  the  yolks  of  three 
eggs  and  one  cup  of  fine  white  sugar,  together  with 
half  a  cup  of  water  mixed  with  extract  or  wine;  beat 
this  well  in  the  yolks  and  sugar  (only  half  a  cup) ; 
froth  up  the  whites  of  the  eggs,  add  them,  and  last  of 
all,  beat  in  the  flour  with  the  powder  in  it.  Bake 
quickly  in  square  or  jelly  cake  pans. 

YOUNG  COOKS’  JELLY  ROLL 

Make  the  sponge  for  your  jelly  roll  by  taking  a  cup 
of  white  sugar,  one  cup  of  flour,  and  three  eggs.  Mix, 
etc.;  add  baking  powder  with  the  flour.  Bake  in  a 
stewpan  with  a  quick  fire ;  turn  the  cake  out  on  a  towel 
when  done ;  spread  the  jelly  while  it  is  still  warm  and 
soft,  and  roll  it  carefully.  Cut  it  in  slices  when  cold; 
a  spoonful  of  water  beaten  with  the  eggs  makes  the 
cake  lighter,  as  it  breaks  the  tissue  of  the  eggs  if  it  is 
added  to  them  when  beaten  up. 

ALMOND  DROPS 

Blanch  and  pound  five  ounces  of  sweet,  and  three 
ounces  of  bitter  almonds  (or  peach  kernels),  with  a 
little  white  of  egg.  Put  half  a  pound  of  sifted  flour  on 
your  dough  board,  make  a  hole  in  the  middle  of  the 
flour,  in  which  put  the  almonds,  with  a  pound  of  sugar, 
four  yolks  of  eggs,  and  a  little  salt.  Make  into  a  paste. 
Cut  in  pieces  the  size  of  a  nut,  lay  them  half  an  inch 
apart,  on  sheets  of  paper,  in  a  baking-pan,  and  bake 
in  a  moderate  oven  for  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes, 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


165 


ALMOND  MACAROONS 

Blanch  and  pound  with  a  little  rose-water  half  a 
pound  of  almonds;  add  half  a  pound  of  sifted  sugar, 
the  whites  of  two  eggs  (not  beaten),  form  into  a  paste. 
Dip  your  hand  in  water,  and  roll  the  preparation  into 
balls  the  size  of  a  nutmeg;  lay  them  an  inch  apart,  on 
buttered  paper,  in  a  baking  tin.  Bake  in  a  slow  oven 
until  a  light  brown. 

ALMOND  MACAROONS 

To  a  pound  of  the  best  white  sugar,  sifted,  add  a 
pound  of  blanched  almonds ;  put  in  a  few  drops  of  rose¬ 
water  as  you  beat  them  together  in  a  mortar.  Add  to 
them  the  well-beaten  whites  of  six  eggs,  and  form  the 
paste  into  shapes  in  the  palm  of  the  hand  by  using  a 
little  flour;  butter  some  sheets  of  white  paper,  and 
drop  the  macaroons  on  it,  leaving  a  space  between 
them.  Strew  a  little  white  sugar  on  them,  and  put  in 
the  oven  to  bake  a  light  brown.  Almonds  are  blanched 
by  pouring  hot  water  on  them,  and  slipping  off  the 
brown  coating. 


166 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


DESSERTS 


CHARLOTTE  RUSSE  IN  VARIOUS  WAYS 

There  are  many  varieties  of  this  Charlotte.  They 
are  always  similarly  made,  that  is  with  sponge  cake  or 
lady  fingers,  and  whipped  cream,  custard  or  blanc¬ 
mange.  One  way  is  to  beat  the  whites  of  three  eggs 
to  a  high  froth,  with  a  quarter  of  a  pound  of  sugar, 
and  half  a  pint  of  cream,  until  it  is  quite  thick  and 
light;  flavor  this  to  your  taste  with  lemon  or  vanilla, 
and  pour  it  into  a  cake-lined  mould ;  place  some  of  the 
sliced  cake  or  lady  fingers  on  top  of  the  mould  and  over 
the  cream;  set  it  on  ice,  and  when  wanted  turn  it  on 
a  dish  and  serve. 

Or,  having  lined  a  basin  or  mould,  or  small  tin  cups 
with  any  convenient  cake,  such  as  lady  fingers,  sliced 
savoy  cake,  or  yellow  lady  cake,  fill  them  with  mock 
cream,  blanc-mange  or  custard,  made  from  the  yolks 
of  eggs ;  let  them  become  cold,  then  turn  them  out  and 
serve. 


ANOTHER  WAY 

Break  an  ounce  of  isinglass  small,  and  pour  on  it  a 
teacup  of  hot  milk  or  water;  let  it  dissolve,  then  strain 
it  through  muslin,  on  half  a  pound  of  fine  white  sugar. 
When  nearly  cold  add  to  it  a  quart  of  rich  cream,  al¬ 
ready  beaten  to  a  froth ;  continue  to  beat  it  for  a  few 
minutes,  holding  the  pan  on  ice.  Line  your  mould  with 
sponges  and  pour  your  cream  in.  Cover  with  sponge 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


167 


cake  or  lady  fingers.  Turn  it  out  and  serve.  The 
isinglass  will  make  this  very  firm  if  held  on  ice  long 
enough  to  solidify  before  serving. 


PLAIN  CHARLOTTE  RUSSE 

Boil  one  ounce  of  isinglass  in  a  pint  of  water  until 
reduced  one-half.  While  it  is  boiling,  make  a  custard 
of  one-half  pint  of  milk,  yolks  of  four  eggs,  and  one- 
fourth  of  a  pound  of  sugar ;  flavor  this  with  vanilla  or 
lemon.  Take  a  quart  of  cream,  whip  it  up  to  a  fine 
froth,  and  when  the  isinglass  is  nearly  cold,  so  that  it 
will  not  curdle  the  cream,  stir  it  and  the  cream  into 
the  custard.  Beat  all  thoroughly  and  set  it  on  ice. 
This  is  a  nice,  easy  way  to  make  this  dish,  and  may  be 
made  very  ornamental,  if  wanted  so,  by  lining  a  glass 
dish  with  lady  fingers,  and  then  pouring  in  the  cream 
and  laying  fine  fancy  sugar-drops  on  top.  If  you  have 
no  lady  finger  sponges,  you  can  slice  any  light  sponge 
cake,  and  lay  it  on  the  bottom  and  sides  of  the  glass 
bowl. 


SICILIAN  BISCUIT  DROPPED  ON  TINS 

Take  four  eggs,  twelve  ounces  of  powdered  and  sifted 
sugar,  and  ten  ounces  of  flour.  Beat  the  eggs  and  sugar 
together  in  a  stewpan  on  the  fire,  until  the  batter  feels 
warm  to  the  touch ;  remove  it  from  the  fire,  and  stir  it 
thoroughly  until  it  becomes  cold;  now  add  the  flour, 
and  flavor  with  vanilla.  Butter  some  paper  and  place 
it  on  the  baking  tins,  or  pans.  Drop  the  cake  mixture 
in  round  or  ovals  on  the  buttered  paper,  and  bake  in  a 
slow  oven.  When  put  in  the  oven  sift  white  sugar  over 
the  biscuit. 


168 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


QUEEN  ,S  DROPS 

Beat  up  a  quarter  of  a  pound  of  butter,  and  a  quarter 
of  a  pound  of  sifted  sugar,  two  eggs,  and  six  ounces  of 
flour.  Flavor  with  almonds,  or  vanilla,  or  lemon.  Butter 
some  paper,  place  it  on  baking-sheet  or  pans,  and 
drop  the  mixture  in  drops  about  the  size  of  a  nutmeg. 
Bake  in  a  hot  oven. 

ALMOND  MERINGUE 

Beat  the  whites  of  two  eggs  with  a  quarter  of  a 
pound  of  powdered  sugar  and  a  quarter  of  a  pound  of 
blanched  and  cut  almonds.  Form  them  into  rings  on 
letter  paper,  put  the  paper  on  tin,  and  place  them  in 
the  stove  oven,  to  harden  and  brown  lightly. 

APPLE  COMPOTE 

Make  a  syrup  of  three-quarters  of  a  pound  of  sugar 
and  a  cup  of  water ;  let  it  boil  while  you  are  paring  and 
taking  out  the  cores  of  six  nice  sour  apples.  Throw 
them  into  the  syrup  and  let  them  boil  for  half  an  hour, 
or  until  transparent.  Pour  into  a  glass  or  china  dish, 
and  serve  for  a  lunch  or  tea.  They  are  nice  when  served 
warm. 


MAIZE N A  BLANC  MANGE 

This  can  be  made  with  maizena,  corn  starch,  or  po¬ 
tato  flour,  but  maizena  is  preferable.  Take  a  quarter 
of  a  pound  of  maizena  and  three  pints  of  milk.  Put 
two  and  a  half  pints  of  the  milk  on  to  boil,  and  wet  the 
corn  starch  or  maizena  with  the  remaining  half  pint. 
When  the  milk  boils  add  to  it  (or  better  before  it  boils), 
a  quarter  of  a  pound  of  white  sugar  and  some  lemon 
rind,  sliced  or  grated.  Let  this  boil  a  little,  and  then 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


169 


stir  in  the  mixed  maizena  or  corn  starch.  When  cooked 
five  minutes,  pour  it  into  moulds  or  bowls;  wet  the 
bowls  first  with  cold  water  to  prevent  the  jelly  sticking 
to  the  sides.  When  firm  and  cold,  eat  it  with  cream 
or  any  kind  of  stewed  fruit  you  may  have. 

GELATINE  BLANC  MANGE 

To  one  quart  of  milk  add  an  ounce  of  Nelson’s  or 
Coxe’s  gelatine,  which  has  been  soaked  an  hour  in  a 
cup  of  cold  water.  Add  to  this  half  a  pound  of  fine 
white  sugar;  let  it  simmer  very  gently  on  the  fire  in 
a  stewpan  until  all  the  gelatine  is  dissolved.  Strain 
it,  and  pour  it  in  a  mould;  when  it  begins  to  thicken, 
put  it  on  ice  and  serve  it  with  cream. 

GELATINE  BLANC  MANGE 

Take  a  quart  of  iiew  milk,  set  it  on  to  boil ;  stir  into 
the  boiling  milk,  half  a  box  of  gelatine,  which  should 
have  been  soaked  in  cold  water  ten  or  fifteen  minutes. 
When  the  gelatine  is  dissolved,  stir  into  the  milk  a  cup 
of  sugar;  take  the  jelly  from  the  fire,  and  last  of  all 
while  the  mixture  is  very  hot,  stir  in  four  eggs ;  season 
with  vanilla  or  lemon  extract,  and  pour  into  moulds. 
Eat  with  cream.  This  is  very  nourishing  for  invalids. 

CHOCOLATE  MANGE 

Made  the  same  as  gelatine  blanc  mange  above  de¬ 
scribed,  except  seasoning  the  jelly  with  six  ounces  of 
grated  chocolate  in  the  boiling  milk.  Eat  with  cream 
or  wine  sauce. 


ISINGLASS  JELLY 

Boil  in  one  pint  of  water,  one  ounce  of  isinglass,  and 
when  well  dissolved,  add  to  it  one  pound  of  sugar,  and 
a  cup  of  pale  wine.  When  the  water  is  boiling,  add  to 


170 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


it  the  rind  of  a  lemon,  and  when  taken  off  the  fire,  add 
the  juice  and  grated  rind  of  lemon.  Strain  this  mix¬ 
ture  and  whisk  it  till  it  begins  to  thicken,  then  pour  it 
into  the  vessel  you  wish  to  mould  it  in,  and  set  in  a 
cool  place,  or  on  ice,  to  harden. 

LEMON  CUSTARD 

Boil  a  cup  of  water,  and  stir  into  it  a  tablespoonful 
of  flour,  or  corn  starch.  Beat  the  yolks  of  three  eggs 
with  a  cup  of  brown  sugar.  Add  the  juice  of  a  lemon 
strained;  beat  it  up  with  the  yolks  and  sugar.  Pour 
this  in  a  paste,  and  bake  it.  While  the  custard  is  bak¬ 
ing,  take  the  whites  of  the  three  eggs  and  beat  them 
up  with  a  cup  of  pulverized  sugar.  Spread  this  icing 
on  the  baked  custard,  and  brown  it  slightly. 

NICE  BOILED  CUSTARD 

To  every  quart  of  milk,  allow  six  eggs  and  a  cup  of 
white  sugar.  Set  the  milk  to  boil;  beat  the  whites  of 
the  eggs  with  a  half  cup  of  sugar,  and  drop  into  the 
boiling  milk  for  two  minutes ;  then  with  a  skimmer  re¬ 
move  the  boiled  whites,  and  put  on  a  dish  to  cool.  When 
the  whites  are  taken  off,  stir  into  the  milk  the  yolks 
and  sugar,  previously  well  beaten  up  together.  Add 
rose,  lemon,  or  peach-leaf  flavoring.  Run  this  through 
a  sieve  into  the  bowl  you  expect  to  serve  it  in;  then 
pile  up  the  whites  on  the  custard.  The  whites  can  be 
boiled  without  beating  them  with  sugar. 

APPLE  CUSTARD.  A  NICE  DISH 

Take  a  dozen  apples,  a  large  cupful  of  brown  sugar, 
a  teacupful  of  water,  the  grated  rind  of  a  lemon,  one 
pint  of  milk,  four  eggs,  and  two  ounces  of  loaf  sugar. 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


171 


Peel,  cut  and  core  the  apples ;  put  them  in  a  sauce-pan 
with  the  water ;  as  they  heat,  add  the  brown  sugar  and 
lemon-peel.  When  mashed  and  well  cooked,  take  it  off ; 
put  the  fruit  in  the  bottom  of  a  deep  dish,  and  pour  a 
custard  of  the  milk,  sugar  and  eggs,  over  it,  and  bake 
in  a  moderate  oven.  Grate  over  it  before  baking,  a 
little  nutmeg. 

ALL  THE  YEAE  ROUND  PUDDING 

Line  a  pie  dish  with  paste,  spread  on  this  three 
ounces  of  any  kind  of  jam — strawberry  or  raspberry 
is  best.  Then  beat  well  in  a  basin  three  ounces  of  bread 
crumbs,  three  ounces  butter,  and  the  same  of  sugar, 
and  the  rind  and  juice  of  a  large  lemon;  add  this  to 
the  pastry  and  jam,  and  bake  half  an  hour.  If  the 
lemon  is  not  very  juicy,  add  a  tablespoonful  of  water 
to  it. 


TO  GLAZE  PASTRY 

Break  an  egg,  separate  the  yolk  from  the  white,  and 
beat  it  well;  when  the  pastry  is  nearly  baked  take  it 
out  of  the  oven  and  brush  it  over  with  this  beaten  yolk 
of  egg,  then  put  it  back  in  the  oven  to  set  the  glaze. 

TRANSPARENT  PUDDING 

Beat  eight  eggs  very  light ;  add  them  to  half  a  pound 
of  butter,  and  the  same  of  sugar,  which  have  been 
beaten  to  a  cream  together;  grate  in  half  a  nutmeg, 
set  it  on  the  fire  in  a  stew-pan,  and  stir  it  constantly 
until  it  is  hot.  Do  not  leave  it  more  than  five  minutes 
on  the  fire,  as  you  only  wish  to  slightly  cook  the  whites 
of  the  eggs  to  prevent  their  running  when  put  on  the 
paste.  Line  two  pie  pans  with  delicate  paste,  and  pour 
in  the  mixture.  Bake  in  a  moderate  oven,  and  do  not 


172 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


allow  the  top  to  burn,  as  it  will,  if  not  covered  when 
first  put  in  the  oven.  Cover  with  a  pan  until  the  bot¬ 
tom  is  cooked,  and  then  a  few  moments  colors  the  top. 
This  pie  has  no  meringue  on  top.  Serve  it  with  a  tart 
pie,  as  it  is  a  very  sweet  dessert. 

APPLE  TRIFLE — A  SUPPER  DISH 

Make  a  marmalade  by  stewing  tart  apples  in  sugar, 
seasoned  with  lemon.  Lay  it  when  cold  in  a  deep  glass 
dish,  pour  over  it  a  boiled  custard  made  of  two  eggs, 
half  a  pint  of  milk,  sweetened  with  half  a  cup  of  sugar. 
Finish  it  by  whipping  a  pint  of  rich  cream  to  a  froth, 
and  pile  it  high  on  the  custard.  Ornament  with  strips 
of  citron  and  apple  jelly  laid  on  the  whipped  cream. 
This  is  a  charming  dish  for  the  country,  where  cream 
is  abundant. 


TRIFLES.  DELICIOUS 

Cover  the  bottom  of  a  glass  bowl,  or  dish,  with  lady 
fingers ;  break  up,  and  put  also  half  dozen  macaroons ; 
pour  over  them  a  cup  of  wine,  or  diluted  extract,  to 
moisten  them;  then  put  in  three  tablespoonfuls  of  jelly 
or  jam.  Pour  over  this  a  boiled  custard,  made  with  a 
pint  of  milk,  three  eggs  and  a  cup  of  white  sugar.  Whip 
up  the  whites  of  two  eggs  with  a  cup  of  white  sugar  and 
lemon  juice  to  taste,  and  when  it  will  stand  alone,  put 
it  on  the  custard,  and  serve. 

GELATINE  SNOW  PUDDING 

Take  two  tablespoonfuls  of  good  gelatine,  throw  over 
it  two  spoonfuls  of  water,  let  it  soak  ten  minutes,  then 
pour  over  it  half  a  pint  of  boiling  water,  three-quarters 
of  a  pound  of  white  sugar,  and  the  juice  of  two  lemons 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


173 


with  the  rind  thrown  in.  Let  it  come  to  a  boil,  take  it 
off  immediately,  strain  it,  let  it  cool  a  little,  and  when  it 
begins  to  thicken  add  the  beaten  whites  of  two  eggs. 
Beat  all  thoroughly,  and  pour  it  in  a  mould  on  ice  to 
get  firm.  When  cold  and  firm,  send  it  to  table  in  the 
middle  of  a  glass  basin  or  dish,  and  pour  around  it  a 
custard  made  from  the  yolks  of  the  eggs,  and  a  pint  of 
milk  sweetened  and  flavored  to  taste.  Sponge  cake 
should  be  served  with  this  pudding. 

A  PRETTY  DISH  OF  ORANGES  CROQUANTE 

Take  ten  or  a  dozen  oranges,  remove  the  peel,  all  the 
white  part  and  the  seeds.  Do  this  carefully  by  quarter¬ 
ing  them,  retaining  the  transparent  pulp  and  juice.  Do 
not  break  the  skins  of  the  sections.  Boil  a  pound  of 
loaf  sugar  in  half  a  glass  of  water  until  the  syrup 
strings  when  lifted  on  a  fork,  then  take  it  from  the  fire 
and  dip  each  section  of  orange  in  this  candy  while  it 
is  hot;  you  can  do  this  by  placing  each  one  on  a  little 
stick  cut  for  the  purpose.  As  the  pieces  are  dipped, 
arrange  them  in  some  pretty  form  on  a  dish  or  bowl, 
and  fill  up  the  hollow  with  whipped  cream,  sweetened 
and  seasoned  with  a  glass  of  maraschino. 

FRANC ATELLI *S  LEMON  PUDDING 

The  juice  and  grated  rind  of  six  lemons,  a  pint  of 
milk  or  cream,  six  ounces  of  sponge  cake  or  mac¬ 
aroons,  eight  yolks,  and  the  whites  of  four  eggs 
(whipped  to  a  froth),  one  pound  of  sugar,  and  a  little 
salt.  Mix  in  a  basin,  and  work  all  these  materials 
together  for  at  least  ten  minutes.  Put  a  border  of  puff 
paste  around  a  pie-dish,  then  pour  in  the  batter ;  strew 
cut-up  almonds  over  it,  and  bake.  Sift  powdered  sugar 
over  it,  and  serve. 


12 


174 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


WHIPPED  CREAM  WITH  WINE 


To  the  whites  of  three  eggs,  beaten  to  a  froth,  add  a 
pint  of  cream,  four  tablespoonfuls  of  sweet  wine,  and 
four  spoonfuls  of  sugar.  Put  bright  jelly,  or  light- 
colored  marmalade  in  spots  among  the  cream,  and 
serve  sponge  cake  with  it. 


BATTER  PUDDING 

One  quart  of  milk,  six  eggs  beaten  separately,  and 
seven  tablespoonfuls  of  flour.  Boil  the  milk,  stir  in  the 
eggs  and  flour,  while  the  milk  is  nearly  hot  enough  to 
boil;  do  not  let  it  boil  when  you  stir  in  the  flour,  but 
take  it  off  the  fire,  or  you  will  curdle  the  eggs.  Bake 
this  batter  half  an  hour,  and  eat  it  with  wine  or  lemon 
sauce.  You  should  salt  the  milk  slightly  before  boiling. 
When  well  and  quickly  made,  this  is  a  delightful  pud¬ 
ding,  but  it  should  be  eaten  hot. 


A  SUPERIOR  LEMON  TART 

Squeeze  the  juice  from  six  lemons,  wash  the  rinds 
and  boil  them ;  if  too  strong  of  the  lemon  oil,  it  is  better 
to  change  the  water.  You  must  grate  or  pound  the 
rinds,  and  when  tender  and  cold,  add  to  them  one  pound 
of  sugar,  one-fourth  of  a  pound  of  butter,  and  the  yolks 
and  whites  of  five  eggs.  Stir  in  the  juice  of  the  lemons, 
and  cook  the  batter  gently  until  it  is  thick  as  honey; 
then  bake  it  in  puff  paste  without  tops.  Ornament  with 
fancy  strips  of  paste. 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


175 


SUET  PUDDING 

Take  a  cupful  of  chopped  suet,  half  a  cup  of  mo¬ 
lasses,  one  cup  of  raisins  chopped,  a  teaspoonful  of 
powdered  cloves  and  cinnamon,  one-half  cup  of  sugar, 
two  eggs  well  beaten,  half  a  cup  of  sweet  milk,  a  little 
salt,  and  two  teaspoonfuls  of  yeastpowder.  Stir  in 
flour  until  it  is  a  thick  batter ;  flour  a  cloth,,  and  pour  in 
the  mixture,  leaving  room  to  swell.  Boil  two  hours. 

ROLL  PUDDING  OF  ANY  KIND  OF  FRUIT 

Make  a  light  paste,  roll  out  lengthwise,  spread  any 
kind  of  fruit  over  the  paste,  and  roll  it  up  in  the  dough ; 
wrap  it  up  in  a  cloth,  tie  it  carefully,  and  boil  it  one 
hour.  You  will  find  this  delicious  if  made  of  either 
blackberries,  strawberries,  peaches,  or  any  kind  of 
dried  fruit  stewed  and  sugared;  if  fresh  fruit  is  used, 
it  needs  no  stewing. 

A  DESSERT  FOR  A  DELICATE  PERSON 

Boil  one  cup  of  rice  until  perfectly  soft,  then  add  a 
teacup  of  rich  sweet  cream,  and  half  a  teacup  of  any 
acid  jelly — currant  is  the  best  but  plum,  strawberry  or 
lemon  will  do.  Put  it  over  the  fire  a  few  minutes,  turn 
it  into  a  mould.  Eat  with  sweetened  cream. 

MACAROON  PUDDING  ICED 

Line  a  mould  with  macaroons,  as  described  for  Iced 
Cabinet  Pudding.  Fill  the  mould  with  dried  cherries, 
seedless  raisins  and  macaroons,  in  layers;  then  pour 
a  little  Madeira  or  sherry  wine  over  them,  and  finish 
by  pouring  over  all  a  custard  of  a  pint  of  milk,  two  eggs 


176 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


and  flavoring  to  suit;  sweeten  it  with  half  a  pound  of 
white  sugar,  and  in  summer  cover  the  mould  up  in  ice 
and  salt  until  wanted.  In  winter  steam  it  and  serve 
with  butter  and  sugar  sauce. 

STEAMED  CABINET  PUDDING,  VERY  FINE 

Butter  a  pudding  mould,  and  line  it  with  brioche,  or 
any  kind  of  cold  sweet  roll,  or  Sally  Lunn,  that  has 
been  left  over.  Fill  the  mould  with  layers  of  sponge 
cake,  or  macaroons,  alternately  with  currants,  or  seed¬ 
less  raisins,  chopped  citron,  or  other  dried  fruit;  then 
make  a  boiled  custard  of  six  yolks  of  eggs  (for  a 
moderate  size  mould),  a  pint  of  milk  or  cream,  six 
ounces  of  sugar,  a  glass  of  brandy,  and  the  grated  rind 
of  a  lemon.  Moisten  the  macaroons  with  extract  of 
lemon,  and  then  pour  over  the  custard,  which  need  not 
be  previously  boiled,  as  the  pudding  is  to  be  steamed, 
and  boiling  the  custard  is  unnecessary,  except  when  it 
is  to  be  iced.  Serve  with  wine  or  hard  butter  sauce 
beaten  up  with  a  little  wine. 

MERINGUE  PUDDING.  VERY  NICE 

Take  a  pint  of  bread  crumbs,  a  quart  of  milk  and 
four  eggs.  Make  one  pint  of  milk  boiling  hot,  pour  it 
over  the  bread  crumbs,  and  beat  it  smooth ;  when  cool, 
add  a  cup  of  sugar,  and  the  yolks  of  the  four  eggs; 
also  a  lump  of  butter  (the  size  of  an  egg).  Beat  all 
well  together,  thin  it  by  adding  the  rest  of  the  milk, 
flavor  it  with  peach  or  nutmeg,  and  set  it  in  the  oven 
to  bake.  You  must  only  bake  it  long  enough  to  cook 
the  eggs,  for,  if  you  leave  it  to  stew  and  simmer  in  the 
stove,  it  loses  its  jelly-like  consistence,  and  the  milk 
turns  to  whey.  When  slightly  brown  on  top,  take  the 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


177 


pudding  out  of  the  stove,  and  set  it  to  cool.  When  cool, 
spread  over  it  a  layer  of  acid  preserve  or  jelly,  such 
as  plums,  apples,  grapes,  or  currants.  Then  finish  it 
by  making  an  icing  or  meringue  of  the  whites  of  the 
eggs,  beaten  up  with  a  full  cup  of  white  sugar;  flavor 
this  with  lemon  extract,  and  then  put  the  pudding 
again  in  the  stove,  and  brown.  If  for  a  small  family, 
use  a  pint  of  milk  and  half  of  all  the  materials  men¬ 
tioned.  This  is  considered  an  elegant  dish  for  any 
occasion. 

A  DELICIOUS  PUDDING,  VERY  EASILY  MADE 

Butter  some  thin  slices  of  rolls;  lay  them  in  a 
pudding-dish  with  currants  and  citron  cut  up  fine,  and 
strewed  between  the  slices.  Then  pour  over  the  rolls 
a  custard  made  of  a  quart  of  milk,  four  eggs  and  half 
a  pound  of  sugar;  flavor  this  and  bake  lightly. 

PRINCE  ALBERT’S  PUDDING 

Take  one-half  pound  of  butter,  one-half  pound  of 
grated  bread  crumbs,  one-half  pound  of  sugar,  the 
juice  of  two  lemons  with  the  rinds  grated  in;  add  six 
eggs  well  beaten,  a  glass  of  brandy  and  four  table¬ 
spoonfuls  of  marmalade.  Steam  this  pudding  in  a 
mould  and  serve  with  wine  sauce. 

COCOANUT  PUDDING  OR  PIES 

Break  a  cocoanut  and  save  the  milk;  peel  off  the 
brown  skin,  then  throw  each  piece  into  cold  water,  and 
let  it  stay  a  few  minutes  to  cool;  take  the  pieces  out, 
wipe  dry  and  grate;  add  their  own  weight  of  white 
sugar  and  half  the  weight  of  butter;  rub  the  butter 
and  sugar  to  a  cream,  add  five  well  beaten  eggs,  and  a 
cup  of  milk ;  last  of  all,  throw  into  the  mixture  the  milk 


178 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


of  the  cocoanut  and  the  grated  rind  of  a  lemon.  Bake 
in  a  pudding-dish,  or  make  it  into  pies  with  a  bottom 
crust.  Ornament  the  top  of  the  pies  with  fancy  twists 
of  paste. 

CUSTARD  COCOANUT  PUDDING 

Grate  one  cocoanut ;  take  a  quart  of  milk,  four  eggs, 
and  a  cup  of  sugar.  Beat  sugar  and  eggs  light,  then 
stir  in  the  milk,  and  last  the  cocoanut  and  such  flavor¬ 
ing  as  you  may  prefer.  Pour  this  into  a  deep  pan 
lined  with  paste;  put  fancy  strips  of  paste  across  it, 
and  bake  lightly. 


A  NICE  ICE  CREAM 

Put  on  the  fire  a  stew-pan  containing  a  quart  of  nice 
fresh  milk,  and  while  it  is  coming  to  the  boil  heat  the 
yolks  of  eight  eggs  and  a  pound  of  fine  white  sugar; 
when  these  are  well  beaten,  take  off  the  boiling  milk, 
let  it  stand  to  cool  five  minutes,  and  pour  it  very  hot 
over  the  eggs  and  sugar;  strain  this  mixture,  and  add 
for  flavoring  any  favorite  extract,  either  of  lemon, 
orange,  peach  or  vanilla.  Let  it  stand  to  get  cool,  and 
pour  it  into  the  freezer  and  surround  it  with  layers  of 
ice,  pounded  fine,  and  coarse  dairy  salt,  well  beaten 
down,  and  fill  up  till  within  a  few  inches  of  the  top  of 
the  freezer.  Now,  if  you  have  it  you  may  pour  in  one 
quart  of  pure  cream,  and  beat  it  with  a  wooden  spoon 
into  the  mixture  in  the  freezer.  Turn  the  crank  of  your 
freezer  briskly  if  you  have  a  five  minute  freezer;  if 
not,  turn  the  can  with  your  hand  for  fifteen  minutes, 
and  then  pack  round  again  with  ice  and  salt.  Draw 
off  the  melted  ice  and  salt  water,  and  fill  up  again  and 
set  away  to  harden  before  serving.  Two  tablespoon¬ 
fuls  of  the  extract  are  enough. 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


179 


LEMON  SHERBET 

If  a  gallon  is  wanted,  take  ten  fine  lemons,  or  more, 
if  small  ones.  Place  to  them  three  quarts  of  cold  water 
sweetened,  with  two  and  one-half  pounds  of  loaf  sugar. 
Just  before  placing  in  the  freezer,  beat  up  the  whites  of 
three  eggs  with  a  little  sugar  and  stir  in.  Then  place 
the  mixture  of  lemons,  sugar,  water  and  eggs  in  the 
freezer,  and  pack  ice  and  salt  around  it.  It  freezes 
easily,  with  less  trouble  than  ice  cream.  Pineapple  or 
orange  sherbet  is  also  very  nice  made  the  same  way. 

BISCUIT  CREAM  IN  MOULDS 

One  quart  of  firm  clabber  and  one  quart  of  sweet 
cream,  make  it  very  sweet  with  white  sugar ;  flavor  with 
vanilla  bean  boiled  in  half  a  cup  of  sweet  milk.  Churn 
all  together  ten  minutes,  then  freeze  in  moulds,  or  in 
any  ordinary  freezer. 

ORANGE  CREAM 

Squeeze  the  juice  of  four  oranges,  and  put  it  with  the 
peel  of  one  into  a  sauce-pan ;  add  to  this  a  pint  of  wa¬ 
ter,  half  a  pound  of  sugar,  and  the  beaten  whites  of  five 
eggs.  Mix  carefully,  place  it  over  a  gentle  fire,  or  it 
will  curdle,  stir  it  in  one  direction  until  it  looks  thick ; 
strain  it  through  a  gauze  sieve,  and  add  to  it,  when 
cold,  the  yolks  of  five  eggs,  and  a  cup  of  cream  or  sweet 
milk.  Set  it  on  the  fire  until  hot  enough  to  cook  the 
eggs,  or  nearly  ready  to  boil  them,  take  it  off,  stir  until 
cold,  and  set  it  oh  ice,  or  freeze  it  as  you  choose.  This 
is  a  delicious  cream,  with  or  without  freezing,  and  one 
much  used  by  families  in  Louisiana. 


180 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


STRAWBERRY,  RASPBERRY,  OR  BLACKBERRY  CREAM  FROZEN 

Make  a  quart  of  rich  custard,  with  eggs,  and  sugar 
and  milk ;  when  cold,  pour  it  on  a  quart  of  ripe  fruit, 
mash  and  pass  it  through  a  sieve.  Add  more  sugar  if 
required  by  the  fruit,  and  freeze  it. 

PEACHES  AND  CREAM  FROZEN 

Peel  and  stone  a  quart  of  nice  yellow  peaches;  put 
them  in  a  bowl,  sweeten  them  well,  and  chop  very  fine. 
If  you  have  sweet  cream,  put  to  the  fruit  a  quart  of  it ; 
if  you  have  not,  take  a  quart  of  milk,  sweeten  it  with 
half  a  pound  of  sugar,  let  it  boil,  and  when  boiling, 
pour  it  on  to  the  beaten  yolks  of  four  eggs.  When  this 
custard  cools,  you  may  add  the  chopped  peaches,  which 
should  be  well  sweetened.  Pour  all  in  the  freezer  and 
set  it  where  it  can  be  frozen. 

BARLEY  OR  SAGE  CREAM  FOR  INVALIDS 

Wash  the  sage  or  barley  clean;  take  a  cup  of  either; 
put  it  on  the  fire  with  water  to  cover  it ;  boil  it  gently 
until  it  is  soft.  While  boiling,  put  in  a  stick  of  cinna¬ 
mon,  or  any  seasoning  that  is  agreeable.  When  the 
barley  has  boiled  soft  and  thick,  take  it  off  and  strain 
it;  then  add  to  it  a  rich  boiled  custard,  sweeten  it  to 
taste ;  add  a  glass  of  wine,  if  liked,  and  serve  it  frozen, 
or  not,  as  is  liked  best  by  the  sick. 

FROZEN  PEACHES  AND  CREAM 

Peel  and  stone  nice  soft,  ripe  peaches,  sprinkle 
enough  sugar  on  them  to  make  them  very  sweet ;  chop 
them  up  fine  until  they  are  a  pulp,  and  add  to  them  as 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


181 


much  cream  as  you  have  peaches;  put  them  into  the 
freezer  and  turn  it  briskly  until  the  cream  is  well  froz¬ 
en.  Figs  and  other  fruits  are  good  served  in  the  same 
way. 

ANOTHER  ICE  CREAM  WITHOUT  CREAM 

When  cream  can  not  be  procured,  a  custard  made  as 
directed,  is  a  good  substitute.  To  a  quart  of  milk,  add 
sugar  until  it  is  very  sweet ,  for  in  freezing  it  loses 
some  of  its  sweetness ;  let  this  boil  on  the  fire,  when  it 
boils  gently,  take  it  off  and  pour  it  scalding  hot  to  the 
beaten  yolks  of  eight  eggs ;  stir  it  constantly,  but  never 
boil  it  as  the  scalding  milk  will  cook  the  eggs  suffici¬ 
ently  ;  it  should  also  be  stirred  while  cooking.  Flavor 
with  vanilla,  or  lemon  or  almond.  If  with  a  vanilla 
bean  it  is  better  to  boil  it  in  the  milk  before  putting  in 
the  sugar.  When  the  custard  is  cold,  put  it  in  the  form 
or  freezer.  If  you  have  no  freezer  you  can  make  one, 
by  using  a  tin  kettle  with  a  tight  cover.  Set  this  in  the 
centre  of  a  tub  that  is  large  enough  to  leave  a  space  of 
four  or  five  inches  around  it ;  fill  the  space  with  layers 
of  cracked  ice  and  coarse  salt,  a  layer  of  ice  last,  and 
cover  the  whole  with  a  woolen  cover  for  half  an  hour. 
Then  shake  the  kettle  constantly,  after  that,  until  froz¬ 
en.  Cover  up  till  wanted. 

ICED  CHOCOLATE  CREAM 

Grate  half  a  pound  of  vanilla  chocolate,  put  it  in  a 
stew-pan  with  half  a  pound  of  sugar,  the  yolks  of  eight 
eggs,  and  one  pint  of  rich,  sweet  milk.  Stir  over  the  fire 
until  it  begins  to  thicken,  strain  through  a  sieve  into  a 
basin,  add  half  a  pint  of  whipped  cream,  and  one  and 
a  half  ounces  of  isinglass.  Mix  well  and  pour  into  a 
mould.  Set  it  on  ice  if  the  weather  is  warm. 


182 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


COFFEE  CUSTAED 

Boil  one  quart  of  milk  with  five  spoonfuls  of  white 
sugar.  Beat  four  eggs  separately,  throw  the  whites  into 
the  boiling  milk  for  two  minutes  and  dip  them  out  with 
a  skimmer  as  soon  as  they  are  cooked.  Beat  the  four 
yolks  of  the  eggs  with  half  a  cup  of  corn  starch  wet 
with  a  little  cold  milk ;  set  it  aside  until  you  can  put  into 
the  hot  milk  a  cup  of  hot  strong  coffee ;  then  pour  in  the 
mixed  corn  starch  and  eggs,  give  it  a  little  boil  and  take 
it  off.  Last  of  all,  place  the  pure  white  boiled  eggs  on 
the  rich  brown  custard,  and  you  have  a  beautiful  and 
appetizing  dessert.  Serve  with  sponge  cake.  Some 
boil  the  coarsely  ground  coffee  in  the  milk  first  and 
then  strain  it,  proceeding  after  that  as  in  other  cus¬ 
tards. 


LEMON  CHEESE-CAKES 

Boil  the  peel  of  two  lemons  until  tender,  and  pound 
them.  Take  half  a  pound  of  sugar,  the  yolks  of  six  eggs, 
and  one-half  pound  of  butter.  Stir  all  well  together, 
and  add  the  juice  of  the  lemons  last.  Lay  puff  paste  in 
your  pans,  fill  them  half  full  of  the  mixture,  and  bake 
lightly. 


OEANGE  CHEESE-CAKES 

Boil  the  peel  of  four  oranges  in  two  waters,  to  take 
out  the  bitter  taste.  When  tender,  pound  up  with  half  a 
pound  of  sugar,  one-quarter  of  a  pound  of  butter,  and 
the  yolks  of  six  eggs.  I  make  these  confections  to  use 
up  the  yolks  when  I  have  been  using  the  whites  of  eggs 
for  icing  or  white  cake.  Beat  the  mixture  well  and  add 
the  juice  of  the  oranges ;  if  the  oranges  are  large  the 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


183 


juice  of  two  will  be  sufficient  to  make  two  pies.  Put 
puff  paste  in  your  pans,  fill  them  half  full  of  the  con¬ 
fection,  and  bake  lightly. 

WINE  JELLY  FROM  SPARKLING  GELATINE 

Take  a  package  of  an  ounce,  or  an  ounce  and  a  half 
of  gelatine,  pour  upon  it  a  pint  of  cold  water,  and  let  it 
remain  to  soften  for  an  hour  or  so.  When  ready  to 
make  the  jelly,  pour  on  to  the  gelatine  three-quarters  of 
a  pint  of  boiling  water,  and  stir  until  the  gelatine  is 
dissolved;  then  add  to  it  one  and  a  half  pounds  of 
white  sugar,  the  juice  and  grated  rind  of  one  lemon, 
and  a  spoonful  of  any  essence.  Then  beat  the  whites  of 
two  eggs  well,  and  stir  briskly  into  the  mixture ;  put  it 
on  a  gentle  fire,  let  it  simmer  slowly,  take  it  off  as  soon 
as  it  boils  up,  then  add  a  pint  of  wine  and  two  table¬ 
spoonfuls  of  extract  of  lemon  or  vanilla ;  then  strain  it 
through  a  jelly  bag  until  it  runs  clear.  Some  boil  the 
extract  and  wine  in  the  gelatine  before  straining,  but  it 
injures  the  fine  flavor  to  do  so.  Boil  the  gelatine,  the 
water,  the  sugar  and  eggs,  and  strain  it;  after  it  is 
clear  and  still  warm,  pour  in  a  pint  of  wine  and  set  the 
jelly  on  ice  in  summer,  or  to  cool  in  the  winter.  This 
should  give  great  satisfaction. 

YELLOW  CUSTARD  JELLY  FROM  GELATINE 

To  one  ounce  of  gelatine,  soaked  in  one  pint  of  water, 
add  a  quart  of  milk ;  if  the  weather  is  warm  take  a  little 
less  milk.  Set  the  milk  and  gelatine  (or  double  the 
quantity  I  of  isinglass)  on  to  get  hot,  let  it  give  one  boil 
up,  then  sweeten  it,  and  when  a  little  cooled  stir  in  the 
beaten  yolks  of  eight  eggs ;  do  not  let  the  eggs  boil  up 


184 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


or  you  might  curdle  them.  Flavor  with  vanilla  or 
lemon,  pour  into  moulds,  and  set  in  a  cool  place,  or  on 
ice  to  harden. 


calves'  feet  jelly 

Take  two  calves'  feet,  add  to  them  a  gallon  of  water 
which  you  must  reduce  by  boiling  to  a  quart ;  strain  it 
while  hot,  and  set  away  to  get  cold.  When  cold  take 
off  the  fat,  and  remove  any  settlings  which  may  be  in 
the  bottom.  Melt  the  jelly  in  a  stew-pan,  and  add  to  it 
the  whites  of  six  eggs,  well  beaten,  half  a  pint  of  wine, 
half  a  pound  of  white  sugar,  the  juice  of  four  lemons, 
and  rind  of  one  grated.  Boil  this  a  few  minutes,  and 
pass  it  through  a  flannel  strainer.  This  is  a  most  deli¬ 
cate  and  nourishing  article  of  diet  for  the  sick  and  con¬ 
valescent.  If  the  jelly  is  dropped  upon  the  sliced  peel 
of  a  lemon  instead  of  the  grated  peel,  it  will  look  pret¬ 
tier. 


calves'  feet  jelly  made  with  gelatine 

Take  three  quarts  of  water,  one  pint  of  white  wine, 
six  teaspoonfuls  of  brandy,  six  lemons,  juice  and  peel, 
six  eggs,  the  whites  slightly  beaten,  the  shells  crushed 
— the  yolks  not  used — three  pounds  of  white  sugar,  and 
four  ounces  of  gelatine.  First,  soak  the  gelatine  in  one 
quart  of  the  measured  water ;  let  it  remain  for  one-half 
an  hour.  Mix  the  ingredients  named  with  the  other  two 
quarts,  and  let  all  boil  twenty  minutes;  strain  it 
through  a  flannel  bag  without  squeezing.  Wet  the  jelly 
mould  in  cold  water.  Pour  the  jelly  in,  and  leave  it  to 
cool,  or  put  it  on  ice  until  wanted. 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


185 


AMBROSIA  OF  ORANGE  OR  PINEAPPLE 

This  is  a  pretty  dessert  or  supper  dish.  You  require 
a  cocoanut  and  six  oranges  or  a  pineapple.  G-rate  the 
cocoanut,  and  slice  the  oranges  or  pineapple ;  then  in  a 
glass  dish  lay  a  layer  of  fruit,  and  a  layer  of  the  grated 
cocoanut,  until  your  bowl  is  full.  Strew  powdered 
sugar  over  each  layer  of  fruit,  and  on  the  top,  and  it  is 
ready. 


FLOATING  ISLAND,  WITHOUT  WINE 

Beat  the  whites  of  five  eggs  with  a  little  currant  jelly 
until  they  are  quite  thick.  Sweeten  a  pint  of  cream,  add 
a  teaspoonful  of  extract,  pour  it  in  the  bowl,  and  then 
drop  your  whites  of  eggs  and  jelly  by  spoonfuls  on  the 
cream.  If  you  can  not  procure  cream,  you  may  make  a 
substitute  of  a  custard,  made  of  a.  pint  of  sweet  milk, 
yolks  of  two  eggs,  and  half  a  cup  of  white  sugar. 

EGG-NOG 

Take  the  yolks  of  ten  eggs;  add  to  them  ten  table¬ 
spoonfuls  of  pulverized  sugar,  three  pints  of  new  milk, 
and  one  pint  of  the  best  brandy  (whiskey  will  do) .  Beat 
up  the  whites  the  last  thing,  and  stir  in,  after  the  liquor 
is  poured  in. 


186 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


PUDDINGS,  PIES  AND  MINCEMEAT 


DIRECTIONS  FOR  MAKING  AND  BAKING  PIES,  TARTS,  ETC. 

The  delicacy  of  pastry  depends  as  much  upon  the 
baking  as  the  making,  therefore  strict  attention  should 
be  paid  to  the  following  directions : 

Puff  paste  requires  a  quick,  even  heat;  a  hot  oven 
will  curl  the  paste  and  scorch  it. 

Tart  paste  or  short  paste  requires  a  degree  less  of 
heat. 

For  raised  or  light  crust,  the  oven  may  be  heated  as 
for  puff  paste. 

When  baking  with  coal,  if  the  fire  is  not  brisk  enough 
do  not  put  on  more  coal,  but  add  a  stick  or  two  of  hard 
wood ;  or  if  nearly  done,  put  in  a  stick  of  pine  wood. 

FAMILY  PIE  CRUST,  SHORT 

Put  a  pound  of  sifted  flour  into  a  bowl,  work  into  it 
half  a  pound  of  sweet  lard  or  beef  drippings,  with  a 
dessertspoonful  of  salt.  When  it  is  thoroughly  mixed 
put  to  it  enough  cold  water  to  bind  together.  Flour  the 
paste  slab,  or  table,  and  rolling  pin.  Take  a  part  of  the 
paste  and  roll  it  to  less  than  a  quarter  of  an  inch  in 
thickness.  This  will  be  quite  rich  enough  for  health  or 
taste.  A  bit  of  volatile  salts,  the  size  of  a  small  nut¬ 
meg,  dissolved  in  a  little  hot  water  and  put  to  the 
paste,  will  make  it  more  light  and  delicate. 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


187 


FINEST  PUFF  PASTE,  FOE  PUFFS 

Heap  one  pound  of  flour  in  the  centre  of  the  bread¬ 
board,  or  slab ;  make  a  hollow  in  the  centre ;  break  one 
egg  into  it,  then  add  a  teaspoonful  of  salt  and  a  piece 
of  butter  the  size  of  an  egg.  Mix  these  lightly  together 
with  a  little  cold  water,  adding  the  water  a  little  at  a 
time,  until  the  flour  is  made  a  nice  paste;  work  it 
together,  and  roll  it  out  to  half  an  inch  in  thickness. 
Then  divide  a  pound  of  butter  in  six  parts,  spread  one 
part  over  the  paste,  then  fold  it  and  roll  it  out  again, 
until  you  can  perceive  the  butter  through ;  then  spread 
over  another  part,  fold  it  up,  and  roll  out  again,  and 
so  continue  until  all  the  butter  is  used,  and  the  paste 
has  been  worked  over  six  times.  It  is  now  ready  for 
making  into  pies,  puffs  or  any  other  purpose.  Flour  the 
slab  and  rolling-pin,  and  roll  it  out  to  a  quarter  of  an 
inch  in  thickness.  A  marble  slab  and  rolling-pin  are 
best  for  pastry,  and  much  more  durable  than  wood.  Af¬ 
ter  using  them,  scrape  them  clean,  wash  them  first  with 
cold  water,  then  pour  scalding  water  over  them,  and 
wipe  them  dry.  Have  a  sieve  ready  to  sift  any  flour  you 
may  wish  to  use ;  this  is  but  little  trouble  or  delay  and 
it  is  always  best  to  sift  flour.  To  gild  pastry,  wet  it 
over  when  nearly  done,  with  the  yolk  of  an  egg  beaten 
with  a  little  milk. 


PIE-CEUST 

Three  and  a  half  cups  of  flour,  one  cup  of  sweet  lard, 
one  teaspoonful  of  salt,  one  teaspoonful  of  baking  pow¬ 
der,  and  a  cupful  of  very  cold  water.  Mix  with  a  knife, 
using  the  hands  as  little  as  possible.  Roll  and  cut  after 
the  crust  is  on  the  pie-plate. 


188 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


BUTTERMILK  PIE-CRUST - VERY  WHOLESOME 

Take  a  pint  of  buttermilk,  add  one  large  teacupful  of 
lard,  one  teaspoonful  of  salt,  and  a  teaspoonful  of 
soda,  and  flour  enough  to  form  a  soft  dough.  Mix  the 
lard  and  flour  by  rubbing  them  together ;  then  add  the 
other  ingredients.  This  is  a  tender  and  good  pie-crust. 

BOIL  DUMPLING  CRUST  WITHOUT  LARD  OR  BUTTER — 
FOR  DYSPEPTICS 

Sift  a  pint  of  flour  in  a  basin,  salt  it  as  usual,  then 
pour  on  it  a  fine  stream  of  boiling  water  from  the  spout 
of  a  kettle,  pour  it  slowly,  or  you  will  overflow  the  flour ; 
mix  the  flour  and  hot  water  with  a  spoon  until  it  is  a 
nice  soft  dough  that  you  can  handle ;  then  pour  it  on 
the  biscuit  board,  which  should  be  well  floured ;  give  it 
two  or  three  turns,  and  it  is  ready  for  the  fruit.  This 
is  fine  for  dyspeptics,  and  altogether  lighter  and  nicer 
than  the  old  way  of  mixing  with  grease. 

TO  MAKE  MINCE  PIE  MIXTURE 

Weigh  two  pounds  of  the  chopped  meat;  put  to  it 
two  pounds  of  suet  free  from  strings  or  skin,  and  chop¬ 
ped  fine ;  add  two  pounds  of  currants,  picked,  washed, 
and  dried;  four  pounds  of  peeled  and  chopped  rich  tart 
apples,  with  the  juice  of  two  lemons,  and  the  chopped 
peel  of  one ;  a  pint  of  sweet  wine,  and  one  large  nutmeg 
grated,  or  teaspoonful  of  ground  mace ;  three  pounds 
and  a  half  of  sugar,  quarter  of  an  ounce  of  ground 
cloves,  or  allspice,  and  the  same  of  cinnamon,  and  a 
large  tablespoonful  of  salt.  Mix  the  whole  well  togeth¬ 
er,  put  it  in  a  stone  pot,  or  jar,  cover  it  close,  and  set  it 
in  a  cool  place  for  use.  Mix  it  well  together  again  be¬ 
fore  using. 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


189 


TO  FINISH  THE  PIE  MIXTUKE 

Pare,  core,  and  chop,  not  very  fine,  some  tart  juicy 
apples ;  put  to  them  one-third  as  much  of  the  prepared 
meat ;  stone  one  pound  of  raisins,  and  cut  a  quarter  of 
a  citron  in  small  hits ;  add  a  gill  of  brandy,  and  enough 
sweet  cider  to  make  the  whole  quite  wet.  A  peck  of 
apples,  pared  and  chopped,  with  a  quart  bowl  of  the 
prepared  meat,  and  the  raisins,  citron,  and  cider,  as 
above-mentioned,  with  a  large  teacupful  of  brown  su¬ 
gar,  is  enough  to  make  six  or  seven  pies  the  size  of  a 
dinner  plate.  A  teacupful  of  fine  chopped  suet  may  be 
added  if  liked,  or  a  tablespoonful  of  butter  to  each  pie, 
as  it  is  to  be  baked. 


MINCE  PIE  MEAT 

Take  a  nice  tender  piece  of  beef  which  is  free  from 
gristle,  skin  or  strings.  The  meat  is  used  for  mince¬ 
meat,  also  the  sirloin,  the  heart,  head  and  skirts;  the 
tongue  and  sirloin  are  best.  Put  the  meat  in  hot  water, 
enough  to  cover  it ;  boil  it  gently  until  turning  a  fork 
in  it  will  break  it ;  set  it  to  become  cold,  then  take  out 
all  the  bone  and  gristle  parts.  If  the  tongue  is  used  peel 
off  the  skin,  chop  it  very  fine.  To  this  meat,  apples, 
raisins  and  spices  are  added,  for  which  see  recipe 
mince  pie  mixture. 

MINCE  PIE.  HOW  TO  FILL  AND  BAKE 

Line  a  pie  dish  with  a  nice  puff  paste,  rolled  to  twice 
the  thickness  of  a  dollar  piece.  Put  in  the  pie  mixture 
half  an  inch  deep,  and  spread  it  to  within  a  finger 
width  of  the  edge ;  roll  out  a  puff  paste  crust,  turn  a 
plate  the  size  of  the  one  on  which  the  pie  is  made  on  to 


13 


190 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


it,  and  with  a  knife  cut  the  paste  around  the  edge  of 
the  plate ;  then  take  the  plate  off,  make  three  small  in¬ 
cisions  with  the  end  of  the  knife  on  each  side  of  the 
middle,  take  it  carefully  up  and  cover  the  pie  with  it, 
press  it  lightly  with  the  finger  against  the  bottom  crust, 
put  it  in  a  quick  oven  for  three-quarters  of  an  hour. 
The  top  may  be  brushed  over  with  the  yolk  of  an  egg 
beaten  with  a  little  milk.  Pies  made  in  this  way  should 
be  served  warm. 

MINCE  MEAT  FOE  PIES 

Two  pounds  of  beef  chopped  fine,  one  peck  of  apples, 
two  pounds  of  raisins,  two  pounds  of  currants,  one 
pound  of  citron,  one-half  pound  of  suet,  three  pounds 
of  sugar ;  powdered  cinnamon,  cloves  and  nutmeg,  a 
spoonful  each.  Moisten  with  a  bottle  of  champagne 
cider.  When  you  bake  the  pies,  place  a  spoonful  of 
butter  on  each  pie;  but  do  not  put  butter  in  the  jar 
with  the  meat. 

MINCE  MEAT,  FOE  CHRISTMAS  PIES 

Boil  a  fresh  beef  tongue  tender,  let  it  get  cold,  then 
chop  it  fine,  and  add  one  pound  of  suet,  one-half  peck 
of  apples,  two  pounds  of  currants  picked  and  washed 
carefully,  one  pound  of  citron  sliced,  half  an  ounce  each 
of  powdered  cloves,  allspice,  cinnamon  and  ginger, 
three  pints  of  cider,  with  half  a  pint  of  brandy ;  sweet¬ 
en  to  taste,  then  pack  away  in  a  crock.  Keep  it  cool,  or 
it  will  ferment.  Add  apples  when  you  bake  the  pie. 

MINCE  PIE  WITHOUT  MEAT 

Take  one  pound  of  currants,  one  pound  of  peeled  and 
chopped  apples,  one  pound  of  suet  chopped  fine,  one 
pound  of  moist  brown  sugar,  quarter  of  a  pound  of 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


191 


chopped  and  stoned  raisins,  the  juice  of  four  oranges 
and  two  lemons,  with  the  peel  of  one  lemon  chopped, 
and  a  wine-glass  of  brandy.  Mix  all  carefully  and  put 
in  a  cool  place.  Eat  this  pie  hot,  and  when  it  is  baked, 
put  in  a  tablespoonful  of  butter,  but  put  none  in  the 
mixture. 


MOCK  MINCE  PIES.  VERY  GOOD 

Take  six  crackers,  soak  them  in  one  and  a  half  cups 
of  warm  water,  add  to  them  one  cup  of  good  brown 
sugar,  one  cup  of  raisins,  one  cup  of  molasses,  and  one- 
half  cup  of  cider  or  strong  vinegar.  Beat  in  half  a  cup 
of  butter,  season  with  a  lemon  and  its  rind,  a  nutmeg, 
one  teaspoonful  of  cloves,  and  ground  cinnamon. 

ORANGE  PIE 

To  the  juice  and  sliced  pulp  of  two  large  oranges, 
add  the  grated  yellow  rind  of  one  orange.  Beat  the 
yolks  of  three  eggs,  with  a  cupful  of  sugar,  and  beat 
the  whites  to  a  high  froth  and  add  to  them  a  cup  of 
milk.  Mix  all  the  above  together.  Have  ready  a  nice 
puff  paste,  and  bake  the  mixture  in  it. 

LEMON  PIE 

Grate  the  rind  and  express  the  juice  of  three  lemons ; 
rub  together  a  cup  and  a  half  of  powdered  sugar  and 
three  tablespoonfuls  of  butter;  beat  up  the  yolks  of 
four  eggs,  and  add  to  the  butter  and  sugar,  lastly  the 
lemon;  bake  on  a  rich  puff  paste  without  an  upper 
crust.  While  the  pie  is  baking  beat  up  the  whites  of  the 
four  eggs  with  powdered  loaf  sugar,  spread  it  over  the 
top  of  the  pie  when  done ;  then  set  back  in  the  oven  a 
few  moments  to  brown  lightly. 


192 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


LEMON  PIE,  WITHOUT  CORN  STARCH 

The  juice  and  grated  rind  of  a  lemon,  one  cup  of  su¬ 
gar,  two  tablespoonfuls  water,  yolks  of  three  eggs. 
Bake  in  a  nice  crust.  Make  an  icing  of  the  whites  and 
a  cup  of  sugar,  pour  it  over  the  pie,  put  it  back  in  the 
oven,  and  brown  lightly. 

LEMON  PIE.  RICH 

Five  eggs,  two  lemons,  one  cup  and  a  half  of  sugar. 
Beat  all  together  except  the  whites  of  three  eggs,  which 
you  must  beat  stiff  with  sugar,  and  when  the  pies  are 
cold  spread  this  icing  on  top  and  brown  lightly.  The 
crust  of  the  pie  is  made  of  puff  paste,  or  in  any  way 
that  is  liked;  some  ladies  prefer  plain  family  crust  to 
puff  paste. 


CRANBERRY  PIE  OR  TARTS 

Pick  a  quart  of  cranberries  free  from  imperfections, 
put  a  pint  of  water  to  them,  and  put  them  in  a  stew-pan 
over  a  moderate  fire ;  add  a  pound  of  clean  brown  su¬ 
gar,  and  stew  them  gently  until  they  are  soft;  then 
mash  them  with  a  silver  spoon  and  turn  them  into  a 
dish  to  become  cold,  then  make  them  in  pies  or  tarts. 
Many  persons  put  flour  in  cranberry  pies ;  it  is  a  great 
mistake,  as  it  completely  spoils  the  color  of  the  fruit; 
but  if  they  are  strained  and  are  too  thin  to  jelly,  it  is 
well  to  add  a  spoonful  of  corn  starch  to  thicken. 

CRANBERRY  TARTS  WITH  APPLES 

Mix  half  a  pint  of  cranberries  with  half  a  pound  of 
sugar  and  a  spoonful  of  water ;  let  them  simmer  a  little 
until  soft.  Peel  and  cut  thin  a  half  dozen  apples ;  put  a 
rim  of  paste  around  a  pie  plate,  strew  in  the  apples, 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


193 


pour  the  cranberries  over  the  apples  and  cover  with  a 
nice  crust.  Bake  for  an  hour  to  cook  the  apples. 

PORK  AND  APPLE  PIE 

Make  the  crust  in  the  usual  manner  (for  many  ways, 
see  directions  in  this  book),  spread  it  over  a  deep 
plate ;  cut  nice  fat  salt  pork  very  thin,  and  slice  some 
apples ;  place  a  layer  of  apples,  then  a  layer  of  pork ; 
sprinkle  with  allspice,  pepper,  and  sugar,  between  each 
layer;  have  three  or  four  layers,  and  let  the  last  one  be 
apples ;  sprinkle  in  sugar  and  spice ;  cover  with  a  top 
crust,  and  bake  an  hour.  This  is  a  plain  and  wholesome 
dish;  when  the  family  is  large  and  apples  plentiful,  it 
will  be  an  economical  way  of  giving  the  boys  “apple 
pie. ’ 7 


MOLASSES  PIE 

Take  one  pint  of  molasses,  beat  into  it  three  eggs 
and  a  large  spoonful  of  butter ;  pour  the  mixture  into 
a  rich  crust,  and  bake. 

A  RICHER  MOLASSES  PIE 

One  cup  of  molasses,  one  cup  of  sugar,  four  eggs, 
and  four  tablespoonfuls  of  butter.  Mix  together  the 
sugar,  butter  and  eggs,  then  stir  in  the  molasses.  Bake 
in  a  rich  crust. 

HUCKLE  OR  WHORTLEBERRY  PIE 

Put  a  quart  of  picked  huckleberries  into  a  basin  of 
water,  take  off  whatever  floats ;  take  up  the  berries  by 
the  handful ;  pick  out  all  the  stems  and  unripe  berries, 
and  put  the  rest  into  a  dish;  line  a  buttered  pie  dish 
with  a  pie  paste ;  put  in  the  berries  half  an  inch  deep, 


194 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


and  to  a  quart  of  berries  put  a  teacupful  of  brown 
sugar,  and  half  a  teacupful  of  water ;  dredge  a  teaspoon¬ 
ful  of  flour  over;  throw  in  a  saltspoonful  of  salt,  and 
jhalf  a  nutmeg  grated;  cover  the  pie,  cut  a  slit  in  the 
centre,  or  make  several  incisions  on  either  side  of 
it ;  press  the  two  crusts  together  around  the  edge,  trim 
it  off  neatly  with  a  sharp  knife,  and  bake  in  a  quick 
oven  for  three-quarters  of  an  hour. 

BLACKBERRY  PIE 

Pick  the  berries  clean;  rinse  them  in  cold  water, 
and  finish  as  directed  for  huckleberries. 

BOILED  PLUM  PUDDING.  VERY  PINE 

Prepare  all  the  ingredients  except  the  beating  of  the 
eggs,  the  day  before  making  the  pudding.  Take  one 
pound  of  grated  bread  crumbs,  pour  over  them  a  pint 
of  boiling  milk;  add  a  pound  of  chopped  suet,  half  a 
pound  of  butter,  one  pound  of  sugar,  half  a  pound  of 
sifted  flour,  one  dozen  eggs,  one  pound  of  raisins,  one 
pound  of  currants,  half  a  pound  of  citron,  one  table¬ 
spoonful  of  ground  cinnamon,  one  of  cloves  and  all¬ 
spice,  also  one  grated  nutmeg,  a  glass  of  brandy,  the 
rind  and  juice  of  two  lemons.  Tie  it  in  a  piece  of  thick, 
unbleached  cotton,  allowing  room  for  the  pudding  to 
swell.  Boil  five  hours.  Serve  with  butter  and  sugar 
sauce.  This  can  be  steamed  over,  and  be  as  nice  as  it 
was  at  first. 


SIX-OUNCE  PLUM  PUDDING 

Six  ounces  of  stoned  raisins,  six  ounces  washed  and 
dried  currants,  six  ounces  of  bread  crumbs,  six  ounces 
of  suet  and  six  eggs.  Flavor  with  half  a  nutmeg,  half 
a  lemon  and  half  a  glass  of  brandy.  Mix  all  these  in- 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


195 


gredients  together,  and  put  the  pudding  into  a  mould, 
or  floured  cloth,  and  boil  three  hours. 

CHRISTMAS  PLUM  PUDDING 

One  pound  and  a  half  of  raisins,  half  a  pound  of  cur¬ 
rants,  three-quarters  of  a  pound  of  bread-crumbs,  half 
a  pound  of  flour,  three-quarters  of  a  pound  of  beef- 
suet,  nine  eggs,  one  wineglassful  of  brandy,  half  a 
pound  of  citron  and  orange-peel,  half  a  nutmeg,  and  a 
little  ground  ginger.  Chop  the  suet  as  fine  as  possible, 
and  mix  it  with  the  bread-crumbs  and  flour,  add  the 
currants  washed  and  dried,  the  citron  and  orange-peel 
cut  into  thin  slices,  and  the  raisins  stoned  and  divided. 
Mix  it  all  well  together  with  the  grated  nutmeg  and 
ginger,  then  stir  in  nine  eggs  well  beaten,  and  the 
brandy,  and  again  mix  it  thoroughly  together,  that 
every  ingredient  may  be  moistened ;  put  it  into  a  but¬ 
tered  mould,  tie  it  over  tightly,  and  boil  it  for  six 
hours.  This  pudding  may  be  made  a  week  before  using, 
boiled  in  a  cloth,  and  hung  up  in  a  dry  place,  and  when 
required  put  into  a  saucepan  of  boiling  water  and 
boiled  for  two  hours  or  two  hours  and  a  half,  then 
turned  out,  and  served  with  sauce  as  above. 

ANOTHER  CHRISTMAS  PUDDING 

One  pound  of  raisins,  one  pound  of  currants,  one 
pound  of  suet,  three-quarters  of  a  pound  of  bread¬ 
crumbs,  one  pint  of  milk,  ten  eggs,  three-quarters  of  a 
pound  of  citron  and  orange-peel  mixed,  one  small  nut¬ 
meg,  one  glass  of  brandy.  Stone  the  raisins  and  divide 
them,  wash  and  dry  the  currants,  and  cut  the  peel  into 
slices.  Mix  all  these  with  the  bread-crumbs,  flour 


196 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


and  suet  chopped  very  fine,  add  the  grated  nutmeg, 
and  then  stir  in  the  eggs  well-beaten,  the  brandy,  and 
the  milk.  When  the  ingredients  are  well  blended,  put 
it  into  a  mould,  tie  a  floured  cloth  over  it,  and  boil  it 
six  hours.  When  done  turn  it  out,  and  serve  with 
brandy  and  arrowroot  sauce. 

RICH  PLUM  PUDDING  WITHOUT  FLOUR 

One  pound  and  a  half  of  grated  bread,  one  pound 
and  a  half  of  raisins,  one  pound  and  a  half  of  currants, 
one  pound  of  beef-suet,  peel  of  one  large  lemon,  three 
ounces  of  almonds,  a  little  nutmeg  or  mixed  spice,  su¬ 
gar  to  taste,  three  quarters  of  a  pound  of  candied 
orange,  lemon  and  citron,  eight  or  nine  eggs,  half  a 
pint  of  milk,  two  wineglassfuls  of  brandy.  Stone  the 
raisins,  wash  and  pick  the  currants,  chop  the  suet  very 
fine,  and  mix  with  them  a  pound  and  a  half  of  grated 
bread;  add  the  candied  peel  cut  into  shreds,  the  al¬ 
monds  blanched  and  minced,  and  the  mixed  spice  and 
sugar  to  taste.  When  all  are  thoroughly  blended,  stir 
it  well  together  with  eight  or  nine  well-beaten  eggs,  two 
glassfuls  of  brandy,  and  half  a  pint  of  milk,  tie  it  in  a 
cloth,  and  boil  it  for  five  hours  or  five  hours  and  a 
half,  or  divide  it  into  equal  parts,  and  boil  it  in  moulds 
or  basins  for  half  the  time. 

COTTAGE  PLUM  PUDDING 

One  pound  and  a  half  of  flour,  four  or  five  eggs,  a 
pinch  of  salt,  a  little  nutmeg,  one  pound  of  raisins,  half 
a  pound  of  currants,  sugar  to  taste,  and  a  little  milk. 
Make  a  thick  batter  with  five  well-beaten  eggs,  one 
pound  and  a  half  of  flour,  and  a  sufficient  quantity  of 
milk.  Then  add  the  currants  washed  and  picked,  the 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


197 


raisins  stoned,  a  little  nutmeg  and  sugar  to  taste.  Mix 
all  well  together,  and  boil  it  in  a  basin  or  floured  cloth 
for  quite  five  hours.  The  peel  of  a  lemon  grated,  and 
a  few  pieces  of  citron  cut  thin  may  be  added. 

CHEAP  PLUM  PUDDING 

Take  a  cup  of  chopped  suet,  a  cup  of  raisins,  a  cup 
of  currants  and  citron  mixed,  a  cup  of  sweet  milk,  two 
eggs,  a  cup  of  molasses,  and  a  teaspoonful  of  soda ;  add 
to  this  three  and  a  half  cups  of  sifted  flour  or  bread 
crumbs,  and  a  little  salt.  Boil  three  or  four  hours. 
Serve  with  hard  sauce  of  beaten  butter,  sugar  and  nut¬ 
meg;  or  with  butter,  sugar  and  wine  sauce.  This  is 
inexpensive,  but  is  modeled  after  the  most  excellent 
recipes.  The  quantity  suits  a  small  company. 

PLAIN  PUDDING  WITHOUT  EGGS  OR  WINE 

One  pound  of  chopped  and  stoned  raisins,  half  a 
pound  of  suet,  one  pound  of  flour,  a  cup  of  bread 
crumbs,  two  tablespoonfuls  of  molasses,  a  pint  of  milk 
or  nutmeg  grated,  and  a  lemon  peel  chopped.  Cut  the 
suet  very  fine  and  mix  it  with  the  flour ;  add  the  bread 
crumbs,  lemon  and  nutmeg,  with  the  stoned  raisins,  to 
a  pint  of  milk ;  mix  all  together  and  put  in  the  molas¬ 
ses  ;  keep  it  closely  covered  in  a  cool  place.  When  it  is 
wanted,  pour  it  in  a  floured  cloth  and  boil  it  five  hours. 
Serve  with  rich  sauce. 

PLAIN  PLUM  PUDDING  FOR  CHILDREN 

One  pound  of  flour,  one  pound  of  bread  crumbs, 
three  quarters  of  a  pound  of  stoned  raisins,  three  quar¬ 
ters  of  a  pound  of  currants,  three  quarters  of  a  pound 
of  suet,  four  eggs,  and  milk  to  moisten,  say  about  one 


198 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


pint.  Let  the  suet  be  finely  chopped,  the  raisins  stoned, 
the  currants  well  washed,  picked  and  dried.  Mix  them 
with  the  other  dry  ingredients,  stir  all  well  together; 
beat  and  strain  in  the  eggs,  and  add  just  enough  of  the 
milk  to  make  it  mix  properly.  Tie  it  up  in  a  well 
floured  cloth,  put  it  into  boiling  water,  and  boil  for  five 
hours.  Serve  with  butter  and  sugar  sauce,  or  wine 
sauce. 


SWEET  POTATO  PUDDING 

Take  one  pound  or  a  pint  of  hot  boiled  sweet  potato, 
pass  it  hot  through  a  sieve — the  finer  the  better.  To 
this  add  six  eggs  well  beaten,  three-fourths  of  a  pound 
of  butter,  and  a  pound  of  sugar;  flavor  with  grated 
lemon  rind,  and  a  little  brandy.  Make  a  paste  around 
the  dish,  pour  in  the  sweet  potato  mixture,  and  bake. 
Sprinkle  finely  pulverized  sugar  over  the  surface  of 
the  pudding.  This  is  a  Southern  dish,  and  fit  to  grace 
the  table  of  an  epicure. 

BAKED  SUET  PUDDING.  ECONOMICAL  AND  WHOLESOME 

To  a  pound  of  flour,  add  by  degrees  six  ounces  of 
finely  chopped  suet,  four  eggs,  together  with  as  much 
milk  as  will  make  a  firm  batter.  Beat  all  together 
hard,  until  the  last  moment  before  placing  it  in  the 
oven.  Pour  it  into  a  buttered  dish,  and  bake.  Serve 
as  soon  as  done,  with  plain  syrup,  or  butter  and  sugar 
sauce. 


LEMON  PUDDING.  VERY  NICE 

Six  eggs,  three  lemons,  six  tablespoonfuls  of  corn 
starch,  and  one  large  spoonful  of  butter.  Cook  the 
corn  starch  in  a  pint  and  a  half  of  water,  and  stir  in 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


199 


the  butter.  Let  it  get  cool,  and  then  stir  in  the  yolks  of 
the  eggs,  the  juice  of  the  lemons,  and  the  grated  rind ; 
also  one  cup  of  sugar.  Bake  this  lightly  in  a  pudding 
dish,  and  when  cold  pour  it  over  a  meringue,  or  icing, 
made  with  the  whites  of  the  eggs,  and  sufficient  sugar 
to  make  a  thick  icing.  Put  it  back  in  the  oven,  and  let 
it  brown  lightly. 

TEMPERANCE  ICED  CABINET  PUDDING  FOR  SUMMER 

This  is  usually  made  in  oval  tin  moulds,  with  a  tight- 
fitting  cover.  Small  moulds  are  the  best.  Cut  some 
sponge  cake  about  half  an  inch  thick;  shape  it  nearly 
to  the  mould;  dilute  a  tablespoonful  of  any  favorite  ex¬ 
tract,  and  pour  it  on  to  the  cake.  Then  commence  to 
fill  up  the  mould  in  layers  of  currants,  seedless  raisins, 
sliced  citron,  and  chopped  almonds,  then  a  layer  of 
cake,  until  it  is  full.  Make  ready  a  custard  of  one  pint 
of  milk,  the  yolks  of  two  eggs,  a  quarter  of  a  pound 
of  sugar,  and  half  a  teaspoonful  of  extract  of  lemon, 
rose,  or  almonds ;  let  it  simmer  a  little,  but  not  enough 
to  curdle,  as  it  will  certainly  do  if  allowed  to  stay  too 
long  on  the  fire.  When  it  simmers,  take  it  off,  and  let 
it  cool  a  little.  When  only  lukewarm  pour  it  over  the 
fruit  and  cake  in  the  mould.  Cover  tightly,  and  bury 
it  in  ice  and  salt.  It  is,  when  well  made,  a  most  ex¬ 
quisite  dessert. 


SOUFFLE  PUDDING 

Take  a  pint  of  milk,  a  cup  of  flour,  one  spoonful  of 
sugar,  and  a  piece  of  butter  as  large  as  an  egg.  Scald 
the  milk,  flour,  and  butter  together.  After  the  batter 
becomes  cold,  stir  in  the  yolks  of  five  eggs,  and  just 
before  baking,  stir  in  the  whites.  Bake  in  a  quick 
oven,  and  serve  with  sauce. 


200 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


OMELET  SOUFFLE  PUDDING 

Beat  the  whites  of  ten  eggs  to  a  stiff  froth.  Beat  the 
yolks  with  three  quarters  of  a  pound  of  powdered  su¬ 
gar,  and  the  juice  and  grated  rind  of  a  lemon.  Mix  all 
together  lightly.  Butter  a  thick-bottomed  dish  which 
will  just  hold  the  pudding;  put  it  immediately  in  the 
oven,  and  bake  it  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes.  Serve  it 
just  as  it  comes  from  the  oven.  It  should  quiver  like 
a  golden  jelly  when  served.  If  baked  too  long,  it  will 
be  spoiled.  The  oven  must  not  be  too  hot,  or  it  will 
scorch;  the  heat  should  be  as  usual  to  bake  pies. 

VERY  RICH  PUDDING 

Line  a  deep  pie  dish  with  puff  paste,  having  first 
buttered  it  thoroughly;  place  on  this  a  layer  of  jam, 
then  a  layer  of  custard,  then  jam,  then  custard,  until 
the  dish  is  nearly  full,  leaving  the  custard  layer  at  the 
top.  Bake  for  twenty  minutes  in  a  moderate  oven,  let 
the  pudding  cool,  beat  up  the  whites  of  the  eggs  that 
were  used  for  the  custard  into  a  stiff  whip  with  a  little 
powdered  sugar,  pile  the  whip  on  as  high  as  possible, 
and  serve. 


PARISIAN  PUDDING 

Lay  slices  of  sponge  cake  at  the  bottom  of  a  glass 
dish,  spread  over  them  a  layer  of  preserve  (red  or 
black  currant  is  very  good  for  the  purpose),  place  over 
that  more  slices  of  sponge  cake,  then  another  layer  of 
jam.  Do  this  until  you  have  filled  the  dish.  Pour  over 
it  sufficient  sherry  to  soak  the  cake  properly,  then  beat 
up  the  whites  of  four  eggs  with  sufficient  powdered 
loaf  sugar  to  make  it  a  very  stiff  froth,  with  which  to 
cover  the  top  of  the  cake  completely,  and  bake. 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


201 


bird's  nest  pudding 

Take  half  a  package  of  gelatine,  using  a  little  more 
than  half  the  quantity  of  water  given  in  the  recipe 
for  making  jelly;  in  all  other  respects  use  the  same 
proportions.  When  ready  to  strain  put  it  into  a  large 
oval  dish  (a  meat  dish  is  nice) ;  fill  it  nearly  to  the 
edge;  then  set  it  away  to  harden.  Take  some  egg¬ 
shells  that  you  have  broken  just  the  end  off  in  getting 
out  the  egg ;  make  a  blanc-mange  of  corn  starch ;  flavor 
it  with  vanilla,  and  sweeten;  put  this  into  the  shells 
before  it  cools  and  hardens  at  all set  the  eggs  on 
end  in  a  vegetable-dish  so  that  they  will  stand  top  up, 
being  careful  not  to  let  the  blanc-mange  run  out.  Cut 
some  very  thin  yellow  parings  off  the  lemon  rind,  stew 
them  in  a  little  sugar  and  water;  when  cold  lay  each 
piece  separately  in  a  circle  on  the  jelly,  making  two  or 
three  nests.  Break  open  the  egg-shells,  take  out  the 
blanc-mange,  and  lay  it  in  groups  like  eggs  inside  the 
nest.  This  makes  a  very  pretty  dish,  and  is  very  good. 
Ivy  sprays  or  myrtle  wound  around  the  edge  of  the 
dish  improves  the  appearance. 

bird's  nest  pudding 

Peel  and  core  six  mellow  apples ;  line  a  pudding  dish 
with  pastry ;  lay  the  apples  in  the  bottom  of  the  dish, 
and  stick  long  narrow  strips  of  citron  around  them. 
Stir  to  a  cream  a  pint  of  powdered  sugar,  and  half  a 
pint  of  butter.  Beat  separately  the  yolks  and  whites 
of  eight  eggs;  mix  them  with  the  butter  and  sugar, 
season  with  nutmeg,  place  it  on  the  fire,  and  stir  until 
it  is  hot;  then  pour  it  over  the  apples,  and  bake  im¬ 
mediately.  It  can  be  eaten  warm  or  cold.  Do  not  al- 


202 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


low  the  top  to  brown  too  soon.  It  should  be  covered 
with  a  pan,  when  first  put  into  the  oven,  to  prevent  this. 

CROWS'-NEST  WITH  CINNAMON 

Cut  nice  sour  cooking  apples  into  a  baking  dish, 
small  or  large  as  you  need ;  put  sugar,  cinnamon,  and 
lemon  over  them ;  throw  in  a  cup  of  water,  and  cover 
the  dish  with  a  crust  of  light  pie  crust.  Put  it  in  the 
oven,  and  bake  until  the  apples  are  tender.  Be  sure 
to  cut  air-holes  in  the  crust  before  putting  in  to  bake. 
Eat  it  with  cream  and  sugar,  or  hard  sauce  of  butter 
and  sugar ;  beat  together  until  firm  enough  to  slice  like 
butter.  Grate  a  little  nutmeg  over  the  sauce,  if  cin¬ 
namon  is  not  liked. 


COTTAGE  PUDDING 

One  tablespoonful  of  butter,  one  cup  of  sugar,  one 
cup  of  milk,  two  eggs,  one  teaspoonful  of  soda,  one  pint 
of  sifted  flour,  two  spoonfuls  of  cream  of  tartar ;  mix 
like  cake ;  bake  quickly  in  shallow  tin  pans ;  dredge  the 
top  with  powdered  sugar,  which  gives  a  nice  crust  to 
all  puddings  and  cakes.  Sauce  to  accompany  this  pud¬ 
ding  :  one  tablespoonful  of  butter,  one  cup  of  powdered 
sugar,  lemon  extract  for  seasoning,  or  lemon  juice, 
with  half  a  pint  of  boiling  water.  All  beaten  together 
until  it  foams. 

COUNTRY  BATTER  PUDDING  WITH  FRUIT,  CHEAP  AND  NICE 

This  is  a  pudding  which  requires  no  paste  and  is  a 
nice  way  to  use  fruit,  such  as  pie-plant,  berries,  straw¬ 
berries,  peaches,  etc.  To  a  quart  of  buttermilk  add  one 
egg,  a  large  teaspoonful  of  soda,  a  little  salt,  and  flour 
enough  to  make  a  thick  batter.  Pour  it  over  a  quart 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


203 


of  chopped  fruit,  such  as  mentioned,  beat  it  a  little, 
tie  it  tightly  in  a  hag,  drop  it  in  a  kettle  of  hot  water, 
and  let  it  boil  two  hours.  Serve  with  sugar  and  cream. 
This  pudding  may  be  poured  into  a  cake  pan  and  baked, 
if  not  convenient  to  boil  it.  Put  in  plenty  of  fruit. 

RICE  MERINGUE  PUDDING 

Boil  half  a  cup  of  rice  in  a  quart  of  milk  until  it  is 
thoroughly  done.  Sweeten  to  taste,  and  let  it  cool. 
Beat  in  the  yolks  of  four  eggs.  Flavor  with  lemon  rind 
or  essence  and  nutmeg.  Bake  in  a  pudding-dish.  When 
cool,  pour  over  it  the  whites  of  your  eggs,  beaten  with 
a  cup  of  white  sifted  sugar.  Bake  light  brown.  Season 
to  taste  with  lemon,  rose  or  vanilla. 

APPLE  MERINGUE 

Select  handsome  pippin  apples  if  you  can  get  them, 
pare  and  core  them  whole,  put  them  in  the  oven  with  a 
little  water  in  a  deep  dish,  and  let  them  cook  a  little 
but  not  enough  to  break.  When  plumped,  take  them 
out  and  let  them  get  cold;  then  fill  the  centre  of  each 
apple  with  jelly.  Make  an  icing  of  the  whites  of  eggs, 
beaten  with  sifted  sugar,  and  carefully  cover  each  ap¬ 
ple  with  it,  wetting  the  knife  while  smoothing  the  icing. 
Sift  a  little  sugar  over  them  and  put  them  in  the  oven 
to  harden,  but  not  to  brown ;  too  much  heat  will  cause 
the  jelly  to  melt. 

A  CHEAP  AND  DELICATE  PUDDING 

Take  a  tablespoonful  of  butter,  a  cup  of  sugar,  a  cup 
of  milk,  two  eggs,  and  a  pint  of  sifted  flour.  Put  into 
the  flour  a  small  teaspoonful  of  soda  and  two  teaspoon¬ 
fuls  of  cream  of  tartar;  sift  this  in  carefully,  and  set 
the  flour  aside.  Beat  the  eggs,  yolks  and  whites  to- 


204 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


gether,  briskly  until  they  foam;  add  to  the  eggs  two 
tablespoonfuls  of  water ;  beat  them  sharply  again  until 
the  tissues  of  the  eggs  thoroughly  blend  with  the  water, 
mix  the  sugar  and  butter  together ;  add  the  eggs,  beat 
again,  then  pour  in  the  flour  which  will  make  a  stiff 
batter;  lastly,  thin  this  with  the  small  cup  of  milk 
(sweet  milk  is  the  best),  then  bake  in  shallow  pans  and 
serve  with  lemon  sauce,  or  a  rich  wine  sauce  if  that  is 
preferred. 


A  QUICKLY-MADE  PUDDING 

Split  a  few  crackers,  lay  the  surface  over  with 
raisins,  and  place  the  halves  together  again ;  tie  them 
closely  in  a  cloth,  and  boil  them  fifteen  minutes.  Serve 
with  a  rich  sauce  of  butter,  wine,  sugar  and  nutmeg. 

ANOTHER  QUICKLY-MADE  PUDDING 

Get  a  light,  square  loaf  of  bread,  split  it  in  three  or 
four  horizontal  slices;  strew  in  between  the  slices  cut¬ 
up  raisins  or  currants;  tie  it  up  again;  boil  half  an 
hour,  and  serve  it  with  a  rich  sauce.  There  are  few 
better  puddings  made  with  so  little  expense  or  trouble. 

DELICIOUS  BREAD  PUDDING 

Butter  some  slices  of  bread,  cut  thin,  and  lay  them 
in  a  dish,  with  currants  and  citron  between ;  pour  over 
it  a  quart  of  milk,  with  four  well-beaten  eggs,  and 
sugar  sufficient  to  sweeten  to  taste,  and  bake.  Serve 
with  sauce.  It  is  easily  made,  and  very  nice.  It  is 
good  hot  or  cold. 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


205 


CHEAP  GINGERBREAD  PUDDING 

Take  a  cup  of  butter,  rub  it  up  with  three  and  a 
half  cups  of  flour,  one  cup  of  milk,  one  cup  of  molasses, 
and  one  teaspoonful  of  saleratus.  Steam  three  hours, 
and  serve  with  a  rich  sauce. 

A  FRENCH  FRIED  PUDDING 

Beat  four  eggs  to  a  quart  of  milk,  sweeten  and  flavor 
to  taste,  cut  slices  of  baker  ’s  bread  and  steep  them 
until  thoroughly  saturated,  then  fry  in  hot  butter  and 
serve.  Half  this  quantity  for  a  small  family. 

MY  OWN  PUDDING 

Let  a  quart  of  milk  be  set  on  to  boil;  while  it  is 
getting  hot,  mix  a  cup  of  maizena  or  corn  starch  with 
enough  cold  water  to  form  it  into  a  thick  batter ;  add 
to  this  a  cup  of  white  sugar  and  the  yolks  of  four  eggs ; 
take  the  milk  off  and  stir  eggs,  maizena,  and  sugar, 
into  the  milk;  beat  all  together  a  few  minutes,  then 
pour  the  mixture  into  a  baking  dish  and  bake  it  lightly 
about  ten  minutes,  or  long  enough  only  to  cook  the 
eggs;  then  take  the  pudding  out,  and  while  hot  put 
over  it  a  layer  of  jelly  or  jam;  beat  up  the  whites  of 
the  eggs  with  a  cup  of  sugar,  put  this  over  the  jelly 
and  brown. 


MARLBOROUGH  PUDDING 

Take  half  a  pound  of  grated  apples,  half  a  pound  of 
fine  white  sugar,  half  a  pound  of  butter,  six  eggs  well 
beaten,  the  peel  of  one  lemon  grated,  and  the  strained 
juice  of  two ;  line  the  dish  with  pie  paste,  put  the  pud¬ 
ding  in,  and  bake  in  a  quick  oven.  . 


14 


206 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


MARLBOROUGH  APPLE  TARTS.  VERY  FINE 

Quarter,  and  stew  a  dozen  tart  apples.  To  each  tea¬ 
cup  of  this  pulp,  rubbed  through  a  sieve,  add  a  teacup 
of  sugar,  half  a  cup  of  melted  butter,  the  juice  and 
grated  rind  of  two  lemons,  a  cup  of  milk,  four  eggs  and 
jhalf  a  nutmeg.  Beat  all  together  and  bake  in  pans 
lined  with  pastry,  with  a  rim  of  puff  paste  around  the 
edge.  This  is  an  old  and  always  good  recipe. 


BAKED  APPLE  DUMPLINGS 

Make  a  nice  pie  crust,  raised  with  yeast,  or  not,  as 
you  desire ;  divide  it  into  six  parts,  and  roll  each  part 
thin ;  have  ready  six  good-sized  tart  apples,  pared  and 
cored;  fill  up  the  cores  with  sugar  and  butter.  Close 
the  dough  neatly  around  the  apples,  and  turn  that  side 
down  in  a  deep  dish.  If  they  are  made  with  raised 
dough  they  should  stand  one  hour ;  if  with  unleavened 
paste,  sprinkle  some  sugar  over  them,  also  a  little 
grounded  cinnamon  or  other  spice,  and  set  them  in  the 
oven  to  bake.  Spread  a  little  batter  over  each  of  the 
dumplings  as  they  go  to  the  oven.  Put  plenty  of 
spices,  nutmegs,  cinnamon  and  mace.  Throw  a  little 
water  in  the  dish,  and  bake  three-quarters  of  an  hour. 
Wine,  or  sugar  and  butter  sauce  is  a  great  improve¬ 
ment,  but  it  is  very  good  without  it. 

PLAIN  TAPIOCA  CREAM 

Boil  the  pearl  tapioca  as  you  do  rice;  when  cool 
sweeten  it  to  the  taste,  and  grate  nutmeg  over  it.  Pour 
rich  cream  over  it  and  serve. 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


207 


TAPIOCA  CREAM 

Soak  two  teaspoonfuls  of  tapioca  for  two  hours  in  a 
little  cold  water.  Boil  a  quart  of  milk,  and  to  it  add 
the  tapioca,  the  yolks  of  three  eggs,  well  beaten  with  a 
cup  and  a  half  of  sugar ;  give  it  one  boil,  and  set  it 
away  to  cool ;  do  not  boil  it  long,  or  the  eggs  will  cur¬ 
dle.  Beat  the  whites  of  the  eggs,  and  put  them  on  top, 
or  boil  them  in  a  little  of  the  milk  and  put  it  on  the 
cream.  Set  it  on  ice  until  wanted.  This  is  a  delicate 
and  nourishing  cream  for  convalescents,  or  invalids 
who  require  nourishing  food. 

A  NICE  SUPPER  DISH 

Take  one  pint  of  cream,  whip  it  until  stiff,  and  one 
ounce  of  isinglass  boiled  and  strained  in  about  a  pint 
of  water.  Boil  it  until  reduced  to  half  a  pint.  Boil 
in  this  water  and  isinglass,  a  vanilla  bean,  and  when 
nearly  cold,  take  out  the  bean,  add  four  ounces  of 
sugar,  and  when  this  is  blood  warm,  stir  in  the  cream. 
Eat  with  whipped  cream. 

RICE-MILK  FOR  CHILDREN 

To  every  quart  of  milk,  allow  two  ounces  of  rice. 
Wash  the  rice  and  put  it  with  the  milk  in  a  close- 
covered  stewpan,  set  it  over  a  slow  fire,  and  let  it  sim¬ 
mer  gently  for  one  hour  and  a  half.  It  will  scorch 
on  a  fierce  fire. 


NICE  RICE  CUSTARD 

Take  two  tablespoonfuls  of  boiled  rice.  If  it  is  very 
dry,  wash  it  with  a  little  warm  water.  Put  it  in  a  pan, 
add  a  tablespoonful  of  butter,  three  or  four  eggs 
beaten  light,  a  quart  of  sweet  milk,  sugar  enough  to 


208 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


make  it  quite  sweet,  and  one  cup  of  picked  and  seeded 
raisins.  Flavor  with  nutmeg  and  essence  of  lemon  or 
vanilla.  Bake  lightly.  Do  not  allow  it  to  remain  in 
the  oven  long,  as  the  milk  will  become  watery  and  thus 
destroy  the  jelly-like  consistency  of  the  custard.  It  is 
a  nice  and  cheap  dessert  for  children.  The  raisins  may 
be  omitted  if  they  are  objectionable. 

APPLE  POT  PIE 

First,  the  pastry :  Rub  into  a  pint  of  flour  a  heaping 
spoonful  of  lard.  Strew  in  a  little  salt,  and  work  it 
until  the  mass  becomes  numberless  little  globules  and 
balls.  Then  moisten  with  cold  water,  and  press  them 
together  until  they  adhere,  and  your  pastry  is  made. 
It  must  not  be  kneaded  or  worked  over  at  all.  Let  any 
cook  try  this  method,  and  he  will  find  it  the  best  and 
easiest  way  to  make  fine  leaf  paste,  and  he  will  never 
again  countenance  the  old  rolling,  larding,  butter¬ 
spreading  system. 

Now  for  the  fruit:  Pare,  core  and  quarter  one  dozen 
apples.  Put  them  in  a  baking  pan,  with  one  large  cup 
of  sugar,  one  tablespoonful  of  spices,  two  of  molasses 
and  one  of  butter;  add  water  until  the  fruit  is  nearly 
covered,  and  put  it  in  the  oven  to  bake  and  stew,  and 
brown.  When  the  apples  begin  to  soften,  dredge  in  a 
little  flour,  for  the  juice,  though  plentiful,  must  not  be 
watery.  Roll  out  the  pastry.  Cut  the  cover  to  suit  the 
pan,  and  make  the  trimmings  into  dumplings,  which 
must  be  dropped  at  intervals  among  the  fruit.  Fold 
the  pie  cover  in  half,  make  several  oblique  incisions  for 
openings,  lay  it  on  and  brown  it  lightly.  Serve  on  a 
dish  like  peach  cobbler.  Like  that  substantial  dessert, 
it  may  be  eaten  with  cream. 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


209 


PRESERVES,  SYRUPS  AND  FRUIT 
JELLIES 


HINTS  ON  PRESERVING 

Preserving  kettles  should  be  broad  and  shallow,  with 
a  handle  on  each  side.  If  you  wish  to  preserve  in 
small  quantities,  use  a  small  kettle.  A  charcoal  fur¬ 
nace  is  most  desirable  in  warm  weather,  as  you  can  put 
it  where  you  like,  and  thus  avoid  the  heat  of  the 
kitchen.  Slow,  gentle  boiling  is  absolutely  necessary  in 
preserving  and  pickling. 

Crushed  or  loaf  sugar  should  be  used  for  preserves, 
as  it  is  less  liable  to  ferment  during  the  long  hot 
summer. 

Jelly  bags  may  be  made  of  cotton,  linen,  or  flannel, 
and  can  be  made  like  an  old-fashioned  reticule,  with 
a  string  through  the  top,  to  close  and  suspend  it  while 
dripping. 

It  is  a  mistake  to  think  dark  fruits,  like  raspberries, 
strawberries,  etc.,  can  be  preserved  equally  well  with 
brown  sugar,  for  the  color  of  this  sugar  makes  the 
preserves  dark,  or  rather  dingy ,  which  is  the  proper 
word. 

Glass  is  best  for  keeping  preserves  in,  as  they  may 
be  examined  without  opening  the  jars.  When  first  put 
up  they  should  be  corked  tightly,  and  dipped  into 
coarse  melted  sealing-wax. 

TO  MAKE  PRESERVES 

Most  fruits  are  much  easier  preserved  than  jellied. 
Weigh  the  fruit,  and  to  each  pound  of  fruit  the  usual 
rule  is  a  pound  of  sugar;  make  a  syrup  of  the  sugar 


210 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


with  a  half  pint  of  water  to  each  pound  of  fruit.  Boil 
it  clear,  then  put  in  the  fruit  and  cook  it  well,  and  boil 
gently  till  the  fruit  is  clear. 


TO  GREEN  FRUIT  FOR  PICKLING  OR  PRESERVING 

Put  vine  leaves  under,  between,  and  over  the  fruit 
in  a  brass  kettle,  and  over  the  leaves  sprinkle  a  tea¬ 
spoonful  of  beaten  or  ground  alum ;  cover  the  fruit  to 
be  greened,  with  water,  and  boil  it  gently  with  the 
leaves  and  alum ;  if  not  a  fine  green,  take  more  leaves 
and  dust  a  little  saleratus  over  them.  Spread  them  out 
to  cool  when  green,  and  proceed  to  preserve  or  pickle 
them  as  desired. 


TO  PRESERVE  PEACHES 

Select  white  clings  if  you  desire  to  preserve  them 
whole.  Yellow  peaches  make  the  most  transparent 
preserve,  but  cannot  always  be  procured.  If  white 
clings  are  convenient,  peel  and  weigh  them,  and  to 
each  pound  of  fruit  put  one  pound  of  sugar  and  half 
a  pint  of  water.  Put  the  syrup  to  boil,  clarify  it  with 
an  egg,  and  as  it  boils  remove  the  scum.  Keep  the 
peaches  in  cold  water  all  the  time  the  syrup  is  boiling, 
as  water  keeps  the  fruit  in  good  color,  while  leaving  it 
exposed  darkens  it.  When  the  syrup  has  boiled  clear, 
put  in  the  peaches;  let  them  boil  gently  for  half  an 
hour,  then  take  them  out  on  a  dish  for  two  hours ;  put 
them  back  in  the  syrup  and  boil  again  until  they  are 
clear;  they  are  then  done,  and  you  can  put  them  in 
jars  and  pour  the  syrup  over  them,  and  cork  and  seal 
up  for  future  use. 


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211 


ANOTHER  WAY  TO  PRESERVE  PEACHES 

Peel,  cut  and  weigh  six  pounds  of  peaches ;  take  six 
pounds  of  fine  white  sugar,  throw  the  sugar  on  the 
peaches  until  they  are  well  covered,  and  let  them  stay 
all  night.  Early  in  the  morning  add  three  pints  of 
water,  and  boil  all  together  for  one  hour.  Skim  care¬ 
fully,  and  then  take  the  peaches  out  on  a  large  dish, 
still  keeping  the  syrup  gently  boiling,  and  skimming  it 
as  it  boils.  Lay  the  peaches  in  the  sun  on  dishes  for 
at  least  two  hours,  to  harden.  Taking  the  fruit  out  of 
the  syrup  a  few  times  improves  it,  giving  it  firmness 
and  transparency.  Now  replace  the  peaches  in  the 
syrup,  and  boil  gently  until  they  are  clear.  Cut 
peaches  are  much  more  easily  kept  than  peaches  pre¬ 
served  whole,  but  they  are  not  so  highly  flavored.  Cut 
fruit  does  not  require  so  much  boiling  as  whole  fruit; 
this  should  be  remembered  in  preserving. 


PRESERVED  CITRON 

Pare  off  the  green  skin  and  all  the  soft  part  of  the 
rind,  then  cut  the  firm  part  in  strips,  or  any  shape  you 
fancy.  Allow  a  pound  and  a  quarter  of  sugar  to  each 
pound  of  rind;  line  your  porcelain  kettle  with  grape¬ 
vine  leaves  and  fill  with  the  rind,  scattering  a  little 
pulverized  alum  over  each  layer.  Cover  with  vine- 
leaves  three  thick,  pour  on  water  enough  to  reach  and 
wet  these  and  cover  with  a  close  lid.  Let  them  heat 
together  for  three  hours,  but  the  water  must  not  ac¬ 
tually  boil.  Take  out  the  rind,  which  will  be  well 
greened  by  this  process,  and  throw  at  once  into  very 
cold  water.  Let  it  soak  for  four  hours,  changing  the 
water  for  fresh  every  hour.  Then  make  a  syrup,  al- 


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LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


lowing  two  cups  of  water  to  every  pound  and  a  quarter 
of  syrup.  Boil  and  skim  until  no  more  scum  comes 
up ;  put  in  the  rind  and  simmer  gently  nearly  an  hour. 
Take  it  out  and  spread  on  dishes  in  the  sun  until  firm 
and  almost  cool.  Simmer  in  the  syrup  for  half  an 
hour ;  spread  out  again,  and  when  firm  put  into  a  large 
bowl  and  pour  over  it  the  scalding  syrup.  Next  day 
put  the  syrup  again  over  the  fire,  add  the  juice  of  a 
lemon  and  a  tiny  bit  of  ginger-root  for  every  pound  of 
rind.  Boil  down  until  thick,  pack  the  rind  in  jars  and 
pour  over  it  the  syrup.  Tie  up  when  cool. 

TO  PRESERVE  PEARS 

Take  small  rich  pears,  and  boil  them  gently  in  water 
until  they  will  yield  to  the  pressure  of  the  finger.  They 
must  not  be  soft,  or  they  will  not  preserve  well.  Take 
them  out  when  a  little  boiled ;  let  them  cool,  and  pare 
them  neatly,  leaving  a  little  of  the  stem  on,  as  well  as 
the  blossom  end.  Make  a  syrup  of  a  pound  of  sugar 
to  a  pound  of  fruit,  and  when  it  is  boiling  hot,  pour 
it  on  the  pears;  next  day  boil  them  in  the  syrup  till 
clear,  and  bottle  them  for  use. 

PINEAPPLE  PRESERVES 

Take  fine  pineapples,  cut  off  all  the  rough  parts,  and 
each  apple  in  quarters,  shaping  each  piece  alike.  Boil 
the  pineapples  in  just  enough  water  to  cover  them,  and 
put  to  this  water  all  the  cuttings,  so  as  to  make  the 
syrup  as  rich  in  flavor  as  possible.  When  the  pieces 
are  tender,  take  them  out,  weigh  them,  and  make  a 
syrup  of  a  pound  of  sugar  to  each  pound  of  fruit, 
allowing  a  cup  of  the  water  the  pineapples  were  boiled 
in,  to  each  pound  of  fruit.  Strain  the  water  over  the 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


213 


sugar,  mix  it,  and  let  it  boil  fifteen  minutes,  by  itself ; 
skim  it,  and  put  in  the  pineapples,  letting  them  boil 
until  they  are  clear  and  perfectly  tender.  Pears  done 
in  this  way  make  a  delicious  preserve.  The  usual  way 
of  putting  them  in  the  syrup  without  previous  boiling, 
makes  them  little  better  than  sweetened  leather,  as  it 
makes  them  tough  and  stringy. 

TO  PRESERVE  CRAB  APPLES,  GREEN 

Wash  the  apples  and  boil  them  in  a  very  little  water, 
cover  them  with  vine  leaves,  while  on  the  fire  simmer¬ 
ing,  and  they  will  then  be  very  yellow.  Take  them  out 
and  spread  them  on  a  large  dish  to  cool.  Pare  and 
core  them,  put  them  back  in  the  kettle,  with  fresh  leaves 
to  cover  them.  Hang  them  over  the  fire,  or  on  the 
stove  in  a  preserving  kettle  until  they  are  green ;  then 
take  them  out  of  the  pot,  let  them  cool,  weigh  them, 
and  allow  a  pound  of  sugar  to  a  pound  of  fruit.  Put 
only  water  sufficient  to  dissolve  the  sugar,  as  the  fruit, 
having  been  already  boiled,  will  require  very  little 
water — a  small  cupful  to  each  pound  being  quite 
enough.  Boil  this  syrup,  skim  it,  and  put  in  your  green 
apples,  and  boil  them  until  they  are  clear  and  tender. 
Put  the  apples  in  jars,  turn  the  juice  on  to  them,  and 
when  cold  tie  them  up,  or  rather  seal  them  in  this 
Southern  climate. 

PEACH  OR  APPLE  COMPOTE,  FOR  DESSERT 

Dissolve  and  boil  a  pound  of  loaf  sugar  in  a  pint  of 
water;  skim  it,  pare  six  or  eight  apples,  or  a  dozen 
peaches,  throw  them  into  the  boiling  syrup,  and  cook 
until  tender  and  transparent.  Lemon  improves  the 
apples,  but  peaches  are  better  without  it. 


214 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


PRESERVED  HUCKLEBERRIES 

Take  them  just  as  they  begin  to  ripen,  pick  and  weigh 
them,  allow  a  pound  of  fruit  to  a  pound  of  sugar,  then 
stew  them  until  quite  clear,  and  the  syrup  becomes 
thick.  These  make  nice  tarts  when  fruit  is  scarce. 

PLUM  PRESERVES 

Get  plums  before  they  are  dead  ripe ;  allow  a  pound 
of  sugar  to  a  pound  of  fruit,  dissolve  and  boil  the  sugar 
and  water  (allowing  half  a  pint  of  water  to  a  pound). 
Boil  the  syrup  until  it  is  thick,  then  put  in  the  plums 
and  boil  them  until  they  are  transparent;  then  put 
them  in  sealed  jars. 


FIG  PRESERVES 

Boil  the  sugar  and  water  syrup  as  directed  in  pre¬ 
vious  recipe.  Let  the  figs  be  firm,  not  dead  ripe  or 
they  will  boil  to  a  mass.  They  should  be  laid  in  alum 
the  day  before  they  are  to  be  preserved,  then  taken  out, 
washed,  and  put  into  the  boiling  syrup.  Boil  for  three 
hours,  or  until  transparent;  then  bottle  as  usual  and 
seal  up  with  wax. 

MYRTLE  ORANGE  PRESERVE,  OR  HOME-MADE  LIMES 

Pluck  the  oranges  before  they  turn  yellow;  they 
should  he  a  rich  dark  green ;  cut  a  hole  in  the  stem  end 
and  take  out  all  the  white  pulp  and  seeds ;  scrape  them 
carefully,  grate  the  rind  so  as  to  break  the  oil  cells, 
and  allow  the  strong  oil  to  escape.  Wash  them  and 
throw  them  into  strong  salt  and  water ;  let  them  stay 
in  it  for  three  days,  then  soak  them  in  fresh  water 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


215 


three  days.  When  you  wish  to  preserve  them  you  must 
boil  them  in  clear  water,  slowly,  in  a  brass  kettle; 
cover  them  with  a  few  orange  leaves  while  boiling, 
which  will  green  them,  and  boil  until  they  are  tender, 
then  set  them  up  to  cool.  Weigh  as  much  sugar  as  you 
have  oranges,  and  allow  pound  for  pound;  boil  the 
syrup  clear  and  then  put  in  the  oranges;  boil  gently 
for  half  an  hour,  or  until  green  and  yellow.  Use  only 
a  silver  spoon  in  making  this  preserve. 

TO  MAKE  WATERMELON  PRESERVES 

Take  the  firm  outside  rind  of  the  watermelon ;  scrape 
off  the  green  and  cut  out  the  soft  inside ;  cut  the  rind 
into  any  shapes  you  choose,  stars,  crescents,  diamonds, 
etc.  After  they  have  been  boiled  in  alum  and  leaves 
to  green  and  harden,  weigh  them  and  make  a  syrup  of 
a  pound  of  sugar  to  a  pound  of  fruit,  with  a  cup  of 
water  to  each  pound.  Boil  the  syrup  clear,  and  put  in 
the  cut  rinds,  and  boil  them  until  transparent.  Flavor 
with  ginger  for  green  color,  and  lemons  for  the  yellow. 
If  the  rind  is  wanted  yellow  you  must  boil  it  with  fresh 
lemon  skins  and  a  little  saffron  before  preserving  it. 

ANOTHER  WATERMELON  RIND  PRESERVE 

In  a  bucket  of  cold  water,  put  a  handful  of  lime,  stir 
it  in,  and  when  it  settles  clear,  pour  it  over  the  water¬ 
melon  rind  you  intend  preserving;  let  it  stay  in  the 
weak  lime-water  one  day.  Soak  it  a  few  hours,  and 
get  the  taste  of  the  lime  from  the  rind,  then  put  it  in 
alum  water  and  scald  for  ten  minutes.  Put  grape- 
leaves  in  with  the  alum  water  while  scalding ;  they  will 
make  the  rind  green.  Take  the  rind  from  the  alum, 
and  put  it  in  cold  water  for  a  few  hours,  and  when 


216 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


cold,  boil  it  in  strong  ginger  tea  until  it  is  soft,  and 
tastes  of  the  ginger.  Make  the  syrup  of  one  and  a  half 
pounds  of  sugar  to  each  pound  of  rind,  and  a  half  pint 
of  water  to  each  pound  of  sugar.  Let  it  cook  slowly, 
skim  it,  and  when  it  looks  clear,  put  in  the  rind,  and 
let  it  cook  slowly  until  clear  and  transparent.  The 
rind  should  be  cut  into  beautiful  shapes,  and  preserved 
with  care.  This  is  a  little  trouble ;  but  the  housekeeper 
is  amply  repaid  by  the  beauty  of  the  preserve. 


TO  MAKE  ANY  KIND  OF  FRUIT  JELLY 


Wash  and  drain  the  fruit,  put  it  in  a  stone  jar,  and 
put  the  jar  into  a  kettle  of  water  over  the  fire;  let  it 
boil,  but  see  that  none  of  the  water  gets  into  the  fruit. 
When  the  fruit  is  tender,  it  will  begin  to  break;  pour 
it  now  into  a  flannel  bag,  but  do  not  squeeze  it — that 
will  make  the  jelly  cloudy.  To  each  pint  of  juice 
strained,  add  one  pound,  or  one  pound  and  a  quarter 
of  white  sugar,  and  the  half  of  the  beaten  white  of  an 
egg.  Boil  this  rapidly,  skim,  but  do  not  stir  the  syrup, 
as  stirring  breaks  its  continuity  and  prevents  its  jelly¬ 
ing.  Boil  it  twenty  minutes,  and  try  a  little  in  some 
cold  water,  to  find  out  if  it  jellies ;  if  it  does  not,  boil 
it  a  little  longer.  Too  much  boiling,  or  too  slow  boiling, 
injures  jelly  and  makes  it  ropy.  Too  much  sugar  will 
cause  jelly  to  grain;  the  quantity  used  must  be  in  ac¬ 
cordance  with  the  requirements  of  the  fruit,  acid  fruit 
requiring  more  sugar  and  dead  ripe  fruit  less.  Red 
currants  take  more  sugar  than  black  currants;  they 
also  take  more  time  to  boil  to  a  jelly.  A  little  practice 
and  a  few  mistakes  will  make  anyone  who  takes  pleas¬ 
ure  in  cooking  a  good  jelly-maker  and  preserver. 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


217 


CRAB  APPLE  JELLY 


This  is  the  best  of  all  apple  jellies.  Wash  the  apples, 
cut  them  up,  remove  all  defects,  remove  the  seeds  and 
the  blossom  end;  but  do  not  pare  them.  Lay  them  in 
your  preserving-kettle,  and  cover  them  with  water; 
then  boil  them  until  they  are  soft,  but  do  not  let  them 
mash  up  from  too  much  boiling.  Drain  off  all  the 
water,  and  mash  the  apples  with  the  back  of  a  silver 
spoon.  Put  this  in  a  jelly  bag,  and  place  a  deep  dish 
under  it  to  collect  the  juice.  To  every  pint  of  the  juice 
allow  a  pint  of  loaf  sugar;  boil  it  and  skim  it.  It  will 
be  ready  to  dip  out  into  tumblers  in  half  an  hour,  if 
you  have  complied  with  these  directions.  Always  dip 
jelly  out  with  a  silver  spoon,  as  any  other  kind  darkens 
fruit.  I  have  seen  preserves  rendered  very  dark  by 
putting  in  them  a  new-tinned  dipper.  You  must  be 
careful  of  these  things  if  you  desire  your  confections 
to  be  elegant. 


LEMON  JELLY.  A  BEAUTIFUL  DISH 

Set  an  ounce  of  isinglass  in  a  pint  of  water  on  the 
stove  in  a  stew-pan ;  stir  the  isinglass  until  it  dissolves. 
Let  it  boil  a  few  minutes,  then  add  a  pint  of  lemon 
juice  sweetened  with  a  pound  and  a  half  of  sugar,  or  a 
little  more,  if  it  is  wished  very  sweet.  Stir  this  in  with 
the  rinds  of  six  lemons,  and  boil  all  together.  After 
boiling  for  about  five  minutes,  put  a  teaspoonful  of 
saffron  in  to  color  it  yellow,  and  strain  through  a 
flannel  bag.  Fill  your  jelly-glasses  with  it;  when  cool, 
it  is  a  most  beautiful  dish  for  a  collation. 


218 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


BLACKBERRY  JELLY 

Cook  the  fruit  till  tender  in  a  little  water;  throw  off 
the  water,  bruise  and  strain  the  frnit,  and  to  each  pint 
of  the  juice  add  one  pound  of  white  sugar.  Put  it  now 
in  a  preserving-pan,  and  boil  it  rapidly ,  but  do  not  stir 
it  while  boiling,  as  that  breaks  the  jelly;  skim  it  care¬ 
fully,  and  when  it  jellies,  pour  it  into  tumblers  or  small 
jars.  I  have  made  two  pecks  of  berries  into  jelly  in 
two  hours.  This  is  said  for  the  benefit  of  young  house¬ 
keepers  who  often  boil  their  jelly  too  slowly  and  too 
long,  which  makes  it  ropy. 

APPLE  JELLY,  WITHOUT  WATER 

Pare  and  core  the  fruit,  which  should  be  juicy  and 
tart.  Lay  the  apples  in  a  vessel  to  cook  without  put¬ 
ting  in  any  water;  cover  them  closely,  and  cook  until 
properly  soft;  strain  the  juice,  and  add  three-fourths 
of  a  pound  of  sugar  to  a  pint  of  apple  juice.  Beat  in 
the  white  of  an  egg  to  clarify  the  jelly,  and  skim  it  as 
it  boils;  try  it  and,  as  soon  as  it  jellies,  take  it  from 
the  fire  and  put  it  in  glasses. 

JAM 

This  can  be  made  from  almost  any  kind  of  ripe  fruit. 
Blackberries,  strawberries  or  raspberries  are  espe¬ 
cially  suited  for  this  form  of  preserve.  You  must 
weigh  your  fruit  (say  blackberries),  and  allow  three 
quarters  of  a  pound  of  good  sugar  to  each  pound  of 
fruit.  Crush  the  fruit  and  sugar,  with  a  biscuit  beater, 
until  they  are  well  mashed ;  add  a  gill  of  water  to  each 
pound  of  fruit;  boil  gently  (not  rapidly  like  jelly)  until 
it  becomes  a  jelly-like  mass,  and  when  done,  put  it  into 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


219 


glasses,  or  small  earthenware  pots  and  when  cold, 
cover  up  like  jelly.  This  is  an  excellent  medicine  in 
summer  for  dysentery;  but  if  intended  for  invalids, 
you  must  spice  it,  and  add  a  gill  of  brandy — fourth 
proof — to  each  pound  of  jam. 

TOMATO  JAM 

Take  nice  ripe  tomatoes,  skin  them,  take  out  all  their 
seeds,  but  save  the  juice  to  put  with  the  sugar.  Weigh 
the  fruit,  and  to  each  pound,  add  three-fourths  of  a 
pound  of  sugar;  boil  some  lemons  soft,  take  one  for 
each  pound  of  tomatoes,  mash  them  fine,  take  out  the 
pips,  and  put  the  lemons  to  the  sugar  and  tomatoes; 
boil  slowly  and  mash  the  jam  smooth  with  a  silver 
spoon.  When  smooth  and  jelly-like,  it  is  done.  Put  it 
away  in  glasses  carefully. 

ORANGE  MARMALADE.  DELICIOUS 

Quarter  the  oranges  and  take  out  the  seeds  and 
white  strings.  To  every  pound  of  pulp,  add  a  cup  of 
cold  water,  and  let  it  stand  thus  for  twenty-four  hours. 
Boil  some  of  the  peel  in  several  waters  until  quite  ten¬ 
der  ;  then  to  each  pound  of  pulp,  add  one-quarter  of  a 
pound  of  boiled  peel,  and  one  and  a  quarter  pounds  of 
white  sugar.  Boil  this  slowly  until  it  jellies,  and  the 
bits  of  peel  are  quite  transparent. 

ORANGE  MARMALADE  MADE  WITH  HONEY 

Quarter  a  dozen  large  ripe  oranges;  remove  the 
rind,  seeds  and  filaments,  but  save  all  the  juice.  Put 
the  juice  and  pulp  into  a  porcelain  kettle,  with  an  equal 
quantity  of  strained  honey,  adding  one-third  as  much 
sugar  as  honey.  Boil  until  very  thick,  sweet  and  clear. 
When  cold,  put  it  in  small  jars. 


220 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


MARMALADE 

This  jam  can  be  made  of  any  ripe  fruit,  boiled  to  a 
pulp  with  a  little  water ;  the  best  are  peaches,  quinces, 
apples,  oranges  and  cranberries.  It  is  usual  to  crush 
the  fruit.  Put  in  three  quarters  of  a  pound  of  sugar 
to  a  pound  of  fruit,  add  a  little  water  (half  a  cup  to  a 
pound),  and  boil  until  it  is  a  jellied  mass.  When  done, 
put  it  in  glass  or  white  earthenware. 

TO  CANDY  FRUIT 

After  peaches,  quinces,  plums,  or  citron,  have  been 
preserved,  take  them  from  the  syrup,  and  drain  them 
on  a  sieve.  To  a  pound  of  loaf  sugar,  put  a  small  cup 
of  water,  and  when  it  is  dissolved,  set  it  over  a  mod¬ 
erate  fire,  and  let  it  boil ;  when  it  boils,  put  in  the  fruit 
to  be  candied,  and  stir  continually  until  the  sugar 
granulates  over  the  fruit;  then  take  it  up,  and  dry  it 
in  a  warm  oven.  If  not  sufficiently  candied,  repeat  the 
operation. 


CANDIED  PUMPKIN 

Peel  a  piece  of  pumpkin,  and  cut  it  in  thin  slices. 
Make  a  nice,  thick  syrup  of  brown  sugar  and  water, 
and  put  the  pumpkin  into  it,  with  a  little  of  the  juice 
of  the  lemon.  Boil  this  until  the  pumpkin  is  nicely 
candied.  Mace,  or  other  spices,  may  be  used  for  flavor¬ 
ing  instead  of  lemon,  if  preferred.  It  may  be  eaten 
hot  with  meats  at  dinner,  and  is  equally  nice,  when 
cold,  for  supper  or  lunch. 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


221 


ORGEAT  SYRUP  WITHOUT  ORANGE  FLOWERS 

Make  a  syrup  of  a  pound  of  sugar  to  every  pint  of 
water;  boil  this  a  few  minutes,  skim  it  clear,  and  when 
cold,  to  every  four  pounds  of  sugar  used,  allow  a  gill  of 
orange  water,  or  rose  water,  and  two  tablespoonfuls  of 
pure  essence  of  bitter  almonds.  Serve  it  in  iced  water. 

ORANGE  SYRUP 

This  syrup  is  so  easily  made,  and  oranges  are  so 
abundant  here,  that  it  is  advantageous  to  make  this 
syrup  in  the  season  of  orange  harvest,  in  Louisiana. 
To  make  it,  you  must  select  ripe  and  thin-skinned 
fruit ;  squeeze  the  juice,  and  to  every  pint,  add  a  pound 
and  a  quarter  of  white  sugar ;  boil  it  slowly,  and  skim 
as  long  as  any  scum  rises;  you  may  then  take  it  off, 
let  it  grow  cold,  and  bottle  it.  Be  sure  to  secure  the 
corks  well.  This  is  nice  for  a  summer  drink  for  deli¬ 
cate  persons;  it  is  also  very  convenient  for  pudding 
sauces,  as  half  a  cup  of  this  syrup,  mixed  with  melted 
butter,  is  admirable,  where  wine  is  not  used.  The 
flavor  is  so  fine,  it  requires  very  little  spicing  to  make 
it  agreeable. 


15 


222 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


BRANDIED  FRUITS,  WINES  AND 
CORDIALS 


PEACHES  IN  BRANDY 

I 

Soak  fine  peaches  in  lye  until  you  can  remove  the 
fuzzy  outside;  wipe  them,  and  turn  them  into  cold 
water.  When  you  have  prepared  as  many  as  you  de¬ 
sire,  weigh  them,  and  to  every  pound  of  fruit,  put 
three  quarters  of  a  pound  of  white  sugar.  Make  a 
syrup  like  that  for  preserves,  only  using  less  water; 
boil  the  peaches  in  the  syrup  until  they  are  tender; 
then  take  them  out  of  the  kettle,  and  place  them  in 
jars ;  fill  up  the  jars  with  a  brandy  syrup,  made  of  a 
pint  of  brandy,  to  a  pint  of  the  sugar  syrup  from  the 
peaches.  Cook  them  very  carefully,  and  dip  the  mouths 
of  the  jars  in  rosin  melted,  and  keep  them  in  a  cool 
dark  place. 

APRICOTS  IN  BRANDY 

Peaches  and  apricots  are  brandied  the  same  way. 
Gather  them  as  fresh  as  possible.  Apricots  should  be 
taken  from  the  tree  as  soon  as  ripe,  as  they  soften  so 
rapidly.  Rub  each  one  with  a  coarse  towel,  but  do  not 
peel  it.  Make  a  syrup  of  half  the  weight  of  the  fruit 
in  sugar,  and  just  water  enough  to  dissolve  it.  When 
the  syrup  is  prepared  and  hot,  put  in  the  apricots,  let 
them  simmer  until  tender ;  then  take  the  fruit  out,  and 
place  it  on  dishes,  then  expose  them  to  the  sun,  or  in  a 
warm  oven  to  dry  and  harden.  Boil  the  syrup  again, 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


223 


after  the  fruit  is  out,  until  it  is  quite  rich  and  thick. 
Skim  it  carefully.  When  the  apricots  are  cold  and 
firm,  put  them  in  white  earthen  preserve-jars  and  fill 
up  with  syrup  and  brandy,  half  and  half.  Tie  up  with 
bladder  skin. 


PEACHES  AND  APRICOTS  IN  BRANDY 

Take  nice  smooth  peaches  not  too  ripe,  put  them  in 
a  vessel  and  cover  them  with  weak  lye ;  take  them  out 
in  two  hours,  and  wipe  carefully  to  get  off  the  down 
and  outside  skin,  and  lay  them  in  cold  water.  Weigh 
the  fruit,  add  their  weight  in  sugar,  and  half  a  pint  of 
water  to  each  pound  of  sugar ;  boil  and  skim  this  syrup, 
put  in  the  peaches ;  when  the  syrup  is  clear  of  scum, 
let  them  boil  for  twenty  minutes  or  half  an  hour,  then 
take  them  out  and  lay  them  on  dishes  to  cool.  Boil  the 
syrup  for  an  hour  longer,  or  until  reduced  one-half  and 
quite  thick.  When  cold,  put  the  peaches  or  apricots  in 
jars,  and  cover  them  with  equal  quantities  of  the  syrup 
and  French  brandy.  If  it  is  apricots,  cook  them  very 
gently,  or  they  will  come  to  pieces  in  the  syrup ;  ten 
minutes  is  long  enough  to  stew  them  before  bottling. 


APRICOT  AND  PEACH  WINE 

Mash  the  apricots  or  peaches  in  a  mortar,  remove 
the  stones,  and  to  eight  pounds  of  the  pulp,  add  one 
quart  of  water ;  let  this  stand  twenty-four  hours ;  then 
strain,  and  to  each  gallon  of  the  juice,  add  two  pounds 
of  loaf  sugar.  Let  it  ferment,  and  when  perfectly 
clear,  bottle  it.  Peach  wine  is  very  nice,  and  may  have 
a  few  of  the  kernels  added  for  flavoring,  if  wished. 


224 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


RAISIN  WINE  WITH  ELDER  FLOWERS 

Boil  six  pounds  of  raisins  in  six  gallons  of  water. 
When  soft,  rub  them  to  a  pulp,  and  pass  through  a 
colander  to  get  rid  of  the  stones ;  add  this  pulp  to  the 
water  it  was  boiled  in,  put  to  it  twelve  pounds  of  white 
sugar  and  a  half -pint  of  yeast.  When  clear,  suspend 
half  a  pound  of  elder  flowers  in  it  to  flavor  the  wine ; 
withdraw  the  flowers  and  bottle  off  the  wine. 


ORANGE  AND  LEMON  WINE 

Take  the  outer  rind  of  one  hundred  oranges  pared, 
so  that  no  white  appears ;  pour  upon  them  ten  gallons 
of  boiling  water,  let  it  stand  ten  hours  and  keep  slightly 
warm.  While  still  warm,  add  the  juice  of  the  oranges, 
mixed  with  twenty-five  pounds  of  lump  sugar,  and  a 
few  tablespoonfuls  of  good  yeast;  let  it  ferment  five 
days,  or  until  the  fermentation  has  ceased,  and  the 
wine  is  clear;  then  bottle.  Lemon  wine  can  be  made 
in  the  same  way. 


SOUR  ORANGE  WINE 

Take  one  gallon  juice  of  sour  oranges,  four  gallons 
of  water,  and  twenty  pounds  of  sugar.  Boil  this  mix¬ 
ture  in  a  vessel  large  enough  to  hold  it,  and  skim  it  as 
it  boils  until  no  more  scum  rises.  Pour  it  into  a  flannel 
bag  and  strain;1  then  put  it  in  a  cask,  adding  to  it  a 
quart  of  uncooked  orange  juice.  Let  it  ferment,  and 
when  clear,  bottle  it.  This  will  require  about  six 
months  to  finish.  Keep  in  a  cool  closet  or  cellar  dur¬ 
ing  fermentation. 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


225 


MIXED  FRUIT  WINE 

Cherries,  black  currants  and  raspberries,  mixed  to¬ 
gether,  make  a  good  wine.  Dilute  the  juice  and  add 
the  usual  amount  of  sugar,  and  let  it  ferment;  then 
bottle. 


A  SUPERIOR  BLACKBERRY  WINE 

Bruise  your  berries,  measure  them,  and  to  every 
gallon,  add  a  quart  of  boiling  water.  Let  this  stand 
twenty-four  hours,  stirring  it  three  or  four  times  dur¬ 
ing  this  time.  The  third  day  strain  off  the  juice,  and 
to  every  gallon  of  this  strained  liquor,  put  two  pounds 
of  refined  sugar.  Cork  it  tight,  and  let  it  stand  until 
cool  weather ;  when  you  will  have  a  wine  that  you  will 
never  voluntarily  be  without: 

BLACKBERRY  WINE 

Mash  the  berries  without  boiling  them;  strain  the 
juice,  and  to  six  pints  of  juice,  add  two  pints  of  water 
and  three  pounds  of  sugar.  Mix  thoroughly  and  put  it 
in  a  wide-mouthed  stone  jar  to  ferment.  Cover  it  care¬ 
fully  with  a  cloth,  to  keep  out  all  insects ;  open  it  and 
skim  it  every  morning;  then  cover  it  up  again  care¬ 
fully,  for  much  of  the  bouquet  of  the  wine  depends  on 
this.  When  it  ceases  to  ferment,  strain  it  and  put  it 
in  a  demijohn;  do  not  cork  it  tightly,  as  it  must  have 
a  little  air,  but  cover  the  loose  stopper  with  a  piece 
of  muslin  or  tarlatan,  to  keep  out  the  insects.  It  will 
be  ready  to  bottle  in  two  months. 

BLACKBERRY  CORDIAL 

Simmer  nice  ripe  blackberries  in  water  enough  to 
cover  them,  and  when  they  are  tender  take  them  out, 
mash  them  and  strain  them  through  a  strong  cloth; 


226  LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


get  all  the  juice  out  you  can  by  squeezing,  but  do  not 
let  the  pulp  and  seed  come  through  the  bag.  Now  add 
a  little  of  the  water  they  were  boiled  in,  however  not 
more  than  two  tablespoonfuls  to  each  pint  of  strained 
juice.  To  every  pint  of  this  liquor,  add  one  pound  of 
loaf  sugar,  one  teaspoonful  of  mace,  same  of  cloves 
and  cinnamon.  Boil  all  these  together  a  few  minutes, 
and  strain  it  again  to  free  it  from  the  spice.  When 
this  syrup  is  cool,  add  to  each  pint  a  wineglass  of  good 
French  brandy.  If  you  cannot  get  brandy,  substitute 
rum  or  whiskey,  remembering  to  use  twice  as  much  as 
you  would  brandy.  This  is  excellent  for  children  dur¬ 
ing  the  prevalence  of  summer  complaints,  and  an  ex¬ 
cellent  tonic  for  all  debilitated  persons. 


BLACKBERRY  CORDIAL 


Select  fine,  ripe  fruit.  Squeeze  the  berries  without 
boiling,  and  to  a  quart  of  the  strained  juice,  put  a 
pound  of  loaf  sugar;  boil  it  for  half  an  hour,  and  add 
a  quart  of  brandy,  some  cloves  and  cinnamon,  when  on 
the  fire.  If  the  fruit  thickens  too  rapidly  while  boil¬ 
ing,  throw  in  a  cup  of  hot  water. 


RASPBERRY  CORDIAL 

Squeeze  the  fruit  through  a  flannel  bag,  and  to  every 
quart  of  juice  to  a  pound  of  loaf  sugar;  put  it  in  a 
stone  jar  and  stir  it  constantly  for  half  an  hour;  allow 
it  to  stand  for  three  days,  then  strain  it  again  and  add 
to  each  quart  of  juice  a  quart  of  fine  brandy. 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


227 


TOMATO  WINE 

Let  the  tomatoes  be  very  ripe;  mash  them  well,  let 
them  stand  twenty-four  hours,  strain,  and  to  every 
quart  of  the  tomato  juice,  add  a  pound  of  white  sugar. 
This  will  ferment  and  should  be  allowed  to  do  so,  only 
keep  it  carefully  covered  from  the  flies.  Skim  off  the 
foam  as  it  rises,  and  when  the  liquor  becomes  clear, 
bottle  it.  This  wine  will  be  a  pleasant  acid,  and  should 
be  served  with  sugar  and  water,  in  the  tumbler  with 
the  wine. 

ANOTHER  TOMATO  WINE 

Bruise  your  berries,  or  small  tomatoes ;  measure  the 
juice,  and  add  two  pounds  of  sugar  to  each  gallon ;  put 
it  in  a  cask,  adding  two  gallons  of  water  to  each  four 
gallons  of  juice.  Let  it  ferment  like  blackberry  wine. 

A  FINE  TEMPERANCE  BEVERAGE 

To  the  juice  of  a  dozen  lemons  put  one  pound  and  a 
half  of  double  refined  sugar,  and  a  picked  quart  of 
raspberries  or  strawberries ;  pare  a  ripe  pineapple  and 
slice  it,  put  over  it  half  a  pound  of  sugar,  stir  the  lemon 
juice  with  the  sugar,  crush  in  the  berries  slightly 
bruise  the  pineapple  and  chop  it  up  in  small  pieces. 
Put  the  lemon  juice  in  a  large  punch  bowl,  add  to  it 
three  quarts  of  ice  water,  then  put  in  the  strawberry 
and  pineapple  juice,  stir  it  until  all  the  sugar  is  dis¬ 
solved,  and  then  set  it  on  ice.  Serve  in  punch  glasses. 

CHAMPAGNE  PUNCH 

Add  to  the  above  mixture  a  bottle  of  champagne,  and 
a  bottle  of  white  wine,  and  you  have  a  very  delicious 
punch  for  festive  occasions. 


228 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


DELICATE  PREPARATIONS  FOR  THE 
SICK  AND  CONVALESCENT 


BARLEY  WATER 

Take  four  large  tablespoonfuls  of  picked  and  washed 
pearl  barley,  and  put  it  into  a  porcelain-lined  kettle 
with  two  quarts  of  boiling  water;  let  it  boil  slowly 
until  the  water  is  reduced  one  half,  then  strain  it  and 
season  with  salt,  lemon,  or  sugar  as  may  be  agreeable 
to  the  sick. 

TOAST  WATER 

Cut  two  or  three  slices  from  a  loaf  of  wheat  bread, 
toast  them  very  brown ;  while  hot,  put  them  in  a  small 
pitcher,  and  pour  over  them  a  pint  and  a  half  of  water. 
Sugar  may  be  added  if  liked,  but  when  the  stomach  is 
affected  it  is  better  without  it. 

TO  MAKE  WATER  GRUEL  OF  CORN  MEAL  OR  OAT  MEAL 

Put  a  quart  of  water  on  to  boil  in  a  stew-pan.  Take 
a  tablespoonful  of  sweet  corn  meal,  or  oatmeal,  make 
it  into  a  batter  with  milk  and  salt,  stir  it  in  the  boiling 
water  and  let  it  boil  gently  for  half  an  hour.  When 
served  it  may  be  sweetened  and  nutmeg  grated  over 
dt.  If  wanted  for  a  strengthening  nourishment,  a  bit 
of  butter  and  a  glass  of  wine  or  brandy  may  be  added. 
This  is  generally  given  after  a  dose  of  castor  oil,  or  an 
emetic.  Use  very  little  salt. 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


229 


BEEF  TEA  FOR  INVALIDS 

Cut  tender  lean  beef  into  small  pieces,  free  it  from 
fat  and  strings,  fill  a  junk  bottle  with  it,  cork  it  tight 
and  put  it  in  a  kettle  of  boiling  water ;  let  it  boil  three 
hours.  In  that  way  you  obtain  the  juices  of  the  meat 
undiluted.  This  is  especially  nourishing  and  good 
when  the  stomach  can  bear  but  little  liquid. 

MILK  PUNCH  AS  A  RESTORATIVE 

Take  a  large  tumbler  (it  should  hold  a  pint),  half 
fill  it  with  chopped  ice,  add  to  it  a  large  tablespoonful 
of  white  sugar,  beat  it  a  little  with  the  ice,  then  pour 
on  it  a  wineglass  of  gin,  rum  or  brandy,  and  fill  up 
with  fresh  milk.  It  is  generally  very  acceptable  to  an 
invalid  who  refuses  other  stimulants. 

APPLE  TEA,  OR  WATER,  FOR  INVALIDS 

Cut  some  ripe  apples  into  thin  pieces,  add  the  peel 
of  a  fresh  lemon;  pour  boiling  water  over  them  and 
let  it  stand  till  cold,  then  sweeten  with  loaf  sugar. 
This  is  a  grateful  and  cooling  drink. 

BAKED  APPLES 

Bake  them  in  a  tin  roaster,  as  iron  discolors  them; 
pour  molasses  over  them  and  bake  until  soft.  This  is 
good  for  opening  the  bowels  of  patients  who  are  a  lit¬ 
tle  constipated. 

ARROW-ROOT  BLANC  MANGE  FOR  THE  SICK 

Put  a  pint  of  new  milk  to  boil ;  make  a  smooth  batter 
with  an  ounce  of  Bermuda  arrow-root  and  cold  milk; 
add  a  little  salt,  and  when  the  milk  is  boiling  stir  in  the 
batter ;  let  the  fire  be  gentle  or  it  will  scorch ;  sweeten 
this  with  fine  white  sugar,  and  let  it  boil  a  few  min- 


230 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


utes ;  flavor  with  lemon,  or  orange  water,  or  if  lemon 
is  objected  to,  boil  a  vanilla  bean  in  the  milk  before 
the  arrow-root  is  put  in.  Take  it  off  the  fire,  pour  it 
in  a  mould  and  set  it  on  ice;  serve  jelly  or  jam  with 
the  blanc  mange,  or  eat  it  with  cream  if  it  agrees  with 
the  invalid. 

ARROW-ROOT  BLANC  MANGE 

Mix  in  a  little  cold  water,  two  tablespoonfuls  of 
arrow-root;  sweeten  a  pint  of  milk  with  white  sugar 
and  put  the  arrow-root  in  the  milk.  Let  it  boil  a  few 
minutes,  stirring  it  constantly;  take  it  off,  and  if  de¬ 
sired,  you  can  let  it  cool  and  mould  it  in  a  bowl  or 
jelly  form;  or  it  is  nice  to  be  eaten  warm.  Colored 
jelly  over  it  is  an  improvement  when  moulded. 

ARROW-ROOT  GRUEL 

Mix  a  tablespoonful  of  arrow-root,  or  for  an  infant, 
half  as  much;  when  mixed  with  cold  water,  stir  in  it 
half  a  pint  of  boiling  water.  Season  with  salt,  sugar 
or  nutmeg. 

MILK  PORRIDGE 

Make  a  quart  of  milk  boiling  hot ;  make  a  tablespoon¬ 
ful  of  flour  into  a  batter  with  cold  milk,  add  a  little 
salt  and  stir  it  in  the  boiling  milk,  stirring  it  constantly 
for  five  minutes  while  it  boils;  flavor  with  anything 
agreeable.  Sweetened  with  loaf  sugar,  and  nutmeg 
grated  plentifully  over  it,  it  will  make  a  most  excellent 
remedy  for  looseness  or  dysentery. 

TAPIOCA  MILK 

Wash  and  soak  a  large  tablespoonful  of  tapioca,  put 
it  to  a  quart  of  sweet  milk,  add  a  little  salt,  cover  it,  and 
set  it  over  a  gentle  fire  for  an  hour.  Take  it  up,  add 
sugar  and  nutmeg,  or  cinnamon  to  taste. 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


231 


TAPIOCA  PUDDING 

Put  a  coffee-cup  of  tapioca  (soak  it  well  first)  into  a 
pint  and  a  half  of  milk,  set  it  where  it  will  get  hot 
slowly,  take  it  off  when  it  boils,  and  when  cool  add  four 
well-beaten  eggs ;  flavor  with  lemon  and  peach,  sweeten 
it  to  taste,  and  bake  for  an  hour  in  a  hot  oven.  If  this 
is  wanted  for  one  person,  take  half  the  quantity  of 
tapioca  and  milk. 

WHITE  WINE  SYLLABUB 

Season  a  pint  of  milk  with  sugar  and  wine,  but  not 
enough  wine  to  curdle  the  milk.  Fill  your  glasses 
nearly  full,  and  crown  them  with  sweetened  whipped 
cream.  Season  the  cream  with  extract  of  lemon. 

SYLLABUB 

Take  the  juice  of  a  large  lemon,  and  the  yellow  rind 
pared  thin;  one  glass  of  brandy,  two  glasses  of  white 
wine,  and  a  quarter  of  a  pound  of  powdered  sugar. 
Put  these  ingredients  into  a  pan,  and  let  them  remain 
one  night ;  the  next  day  add  a  pint  of  thick  cream,  and 
the  whites  of  two  eggs  beaten  together;  beat  them  all 
together  to  a  fine  froth,  and  serve  in  jelly  glasses. 

WINE  SANGABEE  OF  PORT  OR  MADEIRA 

Take  half  a  glass  of  water,  sweeten  it  with  a  table¬ 
spoonful  of  white  powdered  sugar,  and  stir  well  until 
dissolved ;  add  a  gill  of  Madeira  or  Port,  some  nutmeg 
grated  and  pounded  ice.  Serve  with  lady-cake  or 
pound-cake,  cut  small. 


232 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


STEWED  PRUNES  FOR  SICKNESS 

Wash  the  prunes,  put  them  in  a  stew  pan,  cover  them 
with  water,  and  to  each  pound  of  prunes  put  a  cupful 
of  clear  brown  sugar.  Cover  the  stew-pan  and  let 
them  boil  slowly,  until  the  syrup  is  thick  and  rich. 

WINE  JELLY  FOR  THE  SICK 

Take  one  pint  of  Madeira  wine,  one  pint  of  water, 
and  one  ounce  of  isinglass  dissolved  in  a  teacupful  of 
water.  Let  the  wine  and  water  be  boiling  hot,  then  stir 
into  it  the  dissolved  isinglass,  and  sugar  to  taste ;  make 
it  quite  sweet ;  let  it  come  to  a  boil,  try  it  by  taking  a 
little  in  a  saucer,  and  if  not  a  good  jelly  when  cold,  boil 
it  until  it  is  so ;  if  lemon  is  allowed,  use  the  juice  of  two 
to  flavor  this  jelly. 

JAUNE  MANGE 

Break  up  and  boil  an  ounce  of  isinglass  in  rather 
more  than  half  a  pint  of  water  until  it  is  melted ;  strain 
it;  then  add  the  juice  of  two  large  oranges,  a  gill  of 
white  wine,  and  the  yolks  of  four  eggs  beaten  and 
strained ;  sweeten  to  taste,  and  stir  it  over  a  gentle  fire 
till  it  boils  up ;  dip  a  mould  into  cold  water  and  pour 
the  preparation  into  it. 

CARRIGEEN  MOSS  FOR  INVALIDS 

Wash  and  pick  a  tablespoonful  of  Irish  moss  and  put 
it  into  a  tin  cup ;  pour  on  it  half  a  pint  of  boiling  water, 
and  set  it  on  the  coals  for  a  short  time;  when  it  is  all 
dissolved  add  sugar  and  nutmeg  to  taste.  This  may 
be  made  with  milk,  to  resemble  custard,  and  is  very 
nourishing.  Delicate  infants  may  be  fed  on  it  when 
they  will  take  no  other  nourishment. 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


233 


TARTARIC  ACID  AS  A  SUBSTITUTE  FOR  LEMONS 

If  lemons  cannot  be  obtained  to  make  either  a  lemon¬ 
ade  or  jellies  for  the  sick,  tartaric  acid  is  a  good  sub¬ 
stitute,  and  if  used  in  conjunction  with  the  extract  of 
lemon,  is  a  very  agreeable  one. 

LEMON  JELLY  WITHOUT  LEMONS 

Take  a  box  of  Cox’s  gelatine,  pour  over  it  one  quart 
of  boiling  water,  and  stir  until  it  is  dissolved.  Add  a 
teaspoonful  of  tartaric  acid,  and  four  cups  of  sugar; 
let  it  dissolve  and  bring  it  to  a  boil ;  while  boiling,  stir 
in  the  beaten  whites  of  three  eggs ;  let  this  boil  up  once 
again  and  take  it  off  the  fire ;  when  nearly  cool,  add  to 
it  a  tablespoonful  of  good  extract  of  lemon.  Strain  the 
mixture  into  moulds  or  cups,  and  set  it  in  a  cool  place, 
or  on  ice,  to  become  firm.  It  must  be  cool,  or  it  will 
not  jelly. 


ORANGE  SHERBET 

Squeeze  the  juice  from  a  dozen  oranges;  pour  boil¬ 
ing  water  on  the  peel,  and  cover  it  closely.  Boil  water 
and  sugar  (a  pint  to  a  pound)  to  a  syrup;  skim  it 
clear ;  when  all  are  cold,  mix  the  syrup,  juice  and  peel 
with  as  much  water  as  may  be  necessary  to  make  a  rich 
orangeade;  strain  it,  and  set  the  vessel  containing  it 
on  ice.  Or  it  may  be  made  the  same  as  lemonade,  using 
one  lemon  with  half  a  dozen  oranges. 

STRAWBERRY  SHERBET 

Take  fifteen  ounces  of  picked  strawberries,  crush 
them  in  a  mortar,  then  add  to  them  a  quart  of 
water ;  pour  this  into  a  basin,  with  a  sliced  lemon,  and 


234 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


a  teaspoonful  of  orange-flower  water ;  let  it  remain  for 
two  or  three  hours.  Put  eighteen  ounces  of  sugar  into 
another  basin,  cover  it  with  a  cloth,  through  which 
pour  the  strawberry  juice,  after  as  much  has  run 
through  as  will;  gather  up  the  cloth,  and  squeeze  out 
as  much  juice  as  possible  from  it;  when  the  sugar  is 
all  dissolved,  strain  it  again.  Set  the  vessel  contain¬ 
ing  it  on  ice,  until  ready  to  serve. 

ALMOND  CUSTARD 

Blanch  and  beat  four  ounces  of  almonds  fine,  with 
a  spoonful  of  water;  beat  a  pint  of  cream  with  two 
spoonfuls  of  rose  water,  add  them  to  the  yolks  of  four 
eggs  and  as  much  sugar  as  will  make  it  pretty  sweet; 
stir  it  over  a  slow  fire  till  it  is  of  a  proper  thickness, 
but  do  not  boil.  Pour  it  into  custard  glasses. 

SPONGE  CAKE  PUDDING 

Stale  sponge  or  other  plain  cake  may  be  made  into 
a  nice  pudding  by  crumbling  it  into  a  little  more  than 
a  pint  of  milk  and  two  or  three  beaten  eggs,  and  baking 
it.  Sauce — sugar  and  butter  beaten  together. 

GERMAN  LADIES ’  FINGERS 

Beat  one  hour  the  yolks  of  five  eggs  with  half  a 
pound  of  sugar ;  add  half  a  pound  of  blanched  almonds 
pounded  fine,  the  yellow  part  of  one  lemon  grated. 
Mix  well;  add  half  a  pound  of  flour  very  gradually. 
Roll  out  the  paste,  and  cut  it  into  strips  the  length  and 
size  of  the  forefinger;  beat  lightly  the  whites  of  two 
eggs,  and  wet  the  fingers. 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


235 


DIMPLES 

Beat  the  whites  of  three  eggs  very  stiff,  add  grad¬ 
ually  three  quarters  of  a  pound  of  sugar,  and  beat  till 
it  is  well  mixed.  Blanch  almonds,  and  cut  them  into 
pieces — as  small  as  peas,  and  stir  them  into  the  egg 
and  sugar — three  quarters  of  a  pound  of  almonds  for 
three  eggs.  Drop  the  mixture  in  spots  as  large  as  a 
half  penny  on  white  paper  upon  a  tin,  and  bake  in  a 
cool  oven. 

DELICATE  RUSKS  FOR  CONVALESCENTS 

Half  a  pint  of  new  milk,  and  one  cup  of  hop  yeast; 
add  flour  to  make  a  batter,  and  set  the  sponge  at  night. 
In  the  morning  add  half  a  pint  of  milk,  one  cup  of 
sugar,  one  of  butter,  one  egg,  one  nutmeg,  and  flour  to 
make  it  sufficiently  stiff.  Let  it  rise,  then  roll  it,  and 
cut  it  out;  let  it  rise  again,  and  then  bake. 

CHOCOLATE  CARAMELS 

Half  a  pound  of  chocolate,  three  pounds  of  dark 
brown  sugar,  one-eighth  pound  of  butter,  a  small  tea¬ 
cup  of  milk;  season  with  vanilla,  or  grated  lemon  or 
orange-peel.  Boil  it  very  quickly  over  a  hot  fire,  stir¬ 
ring  constantly.  When  it  becomes  hard  on  being 
dropped  into  water,  take  it  off  the  fire  and  stir  for  a 
few  moments  before  pouring  into  buttered  dishes.  Be¬ 
fore  it  is  quite  cool,  cut  into  little  squares.  Those  who 
like  the  caramel  very  hard  need  not  stir  it,  as  this 
makes  it  “sugary.”  The  grated  peel  should  not  be 
put  in  till  the  caramel  is  taken  from  the  fire. 


236 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


COFFEE,  TEA,  CHOCOLATE,  ETC. 


TO  MAKE  CHOCOLATE 

Scrape  the  best  chocolate ;  allow  for  each  square,  or 
large  spoonful  of  ground  chocolate,  half  a  pint  of  milk 
or  milk  and  water ;  let  it  boil  a  few  moments,  then  put 
it  on  the  back  part  of  the  stove,  and  it  is  ready  when 
wanted. 

TO  MAKE  CHOCOLATE  ANOTHER  WAY 

Scrape  or  grate  the  chocolate,  take  a  heaping  table¬ 
spoonful  for  each  cup  to  be  served ;  allow  half  a  pint  of 
milk  or  milk  and  water  to  each  heaping  spoonful  of 
chocolate.  Make  the  milk  hot,  rub  the  chocolate  to  a 
smooth  paste  with  the  cold  milk,  then  stir  it  in  the  boil¬ 
ing  milk.  Let  it  boil  up  once ;  cover  it  and  set  it  back 
in  a  place  where  it  will  keep  warm.  It  is  now  ready  to 
serve.  Toasted  biscuit  or  rolls  should  be  served  with 
it.  Sweeten  the  chocolate  unless  you  use  the  prepared 
chocolate. 


TEA - GREEN  AND  BLACK 

Scald  your  tea-pot  always  before  putting  in  the  tea; 
throw  out  the  scalding  water  and  allow  a  teaspoonful 
of  tea  to  each  person  expected  to  drink  it ;  turn  on  half 
a  pint  of  boiling  water  at  first,  and  let  it  steep — green 
tea  requires  about  five  minutes,  black  tea  ten  minutes. 
After  this,  pour  on  more  boiling  water,  according  to 
the  number  of  persons.  Mixed  black  and  green  tea  is 
considered  a  more  healthful  drink  than  green  tea  alone. 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


237 


COFFEE  CREAM 

Take  three  cups  of  good  clear  coffee,  sweeten  it  well 
and  boil  with  it  a  pint  of  cream  until  reduced  one-third. 

COFFEE 

Old  Java  and  Mocha  are  the  best  coffees.  A  coffee 
roaster  is  the  best  thing  to  roast  coffee  in,  but  an  iron 
pot  is  very  good ;  coffee  should  be  dried  gradually  be¬ 
fore  being  roasted.  “Dripped”  coffee  is  the  French 
mode,  but  many  make  it  in  the  old-time  way  by  boil¬ 
ing.  It  is  a  matter  of  personal  taste,  not  to  be  inter¬ 
fered  with  in  this  “land  of  the  free.”  To  make 
dripped  coffee  we  grind  a  cupful  for  four  persons,  put 
this  ground  coffee  in  the  top  of  the  dripper  and  pour 
on  half  a  pint  of  boiling  water.  It  is  served  with  boil¬ 
ing  milk  at  breakfast. 


16 


238 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


GANDIES  AND  CREAM  DROPS 


CREAM  CANDY 

To  make  cream  candy  take  two  pounds  of  light 
brown  sugar,  one  teacup  of  water,  two  tablespoonfuls 
of  butter,  one  of  vinegar,  and  two  of  flavoring  extract. 
Dissolve  the  sugar  in  the  water,  but  do  not  stir  it.  Set 
it  on  to  boil,  let  it  boil  briskly  for  twenty  minutes,  then 
try  it  by  dropping  a  spoonful  in  a  glass  of  cold  water. 
If  cooked  enough  to  pull,  butter  some  dishes  and  pour 
it  into  them ;  when  cool  enough  to  handle,  pull  it  until 
it  becomes  as  white  as  cream. 

ANOTHER  CREAM  CANDY 

Three  cups  of  sugar,  half  a  cup  of  vinegar,  and  one- 
third  of  a  cup  of  water.  Boil  together  until  it  is  thick 
and  will  harden  when  dropped  into  a  cup  of  water. 
Butter  some  dishes,  and  just  before  filling  them,  add  to 
the  candy  some  flavoring  essence;  if  you  put  this  in 
earlier  it  will  boil  out.  Pour  the  candy  on  the  buttered 
dishes,  and  when  a  little  cool  prepare  to  pull  it  until  it 
is  white  and  light,  which  it  will  be  if  made  by  these 
directions. 


POP-CORN  CANDY 

Take  a  cup  of  molasses,  one  and  a  half  cups  of  brown 
sugar,  a  tablespoonful  of  vinegar  and  a  lump  of  butter 
,  the  size  of  an  egg.  Boil  until  thick.  Chop  two  cups  of 
popped  corn  rather  fine,  put  it  into  the  boiling  candy, 
and  pour  it  all  on  the  buttered  plates.  Cut  in  squares 
to  be  eaten  without  pulling. 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


239 


CHOCOLATE  PASTE  FOR  CAKE 

Boil  one-half  a  cup  of  chocolate  in  one-half  cup  of 
milk,  add  a  cup  of  sugar,  and  boil,  until  it  is  a  thick 
paste. 


LOUISIANA  ORANGE  FLOWER  MACAROONS 

Take  a  coffee  cup  of  the  freshly  gathered  petals  of 
the  orange,  cut  them  with  a  pair  of  scissors  into  two 
pounds  of  dry,  sifted  white  sugar;  this  keeps  their 
color  fresh.  Beat  the  whites  of  seven  eggs  to  a  stiff 
froth,  and  add  to  the  orange  flowers  and  sugar.  Drop 
this  mixture  on  white  paper  in  small  cakes,  and  bake 
in  a  slow  oven ;  do  not  let  them  brown. 

MOLASSES  CANDY 

Take  two  quarts  of  molasses  and  one  pound  of  brown 
sugar,  and  the  juice  of  two  lemons.  Let  the  molasses 
and  sugar  boil  moderately,  without  stirring  it,  for  two 
hours;  if  not  thick  enough  to  pull  then,  let  it  boil  a 
little  longer;  then  put  in  your  extract,  for  if  this  is  put 
in  earlier  the  flavor  will  boil  away.  When  the  candy 
is  cool  enough  to  handle,  put  into  the  pot  a  pint  of 
parched  pinders,  or  pecan  meats,  or  almonds  cut  up. 
Butter  two  large  dishes  and  pour  out  the  candy. 

MOLASSES  CANDY  OF  OUR  GRANDFATHERS’  TIME 

One  quart  of  molasses,  and  butter  the  size  of  an  egg* 
Stew  over  a  brisk  fire  till  it  will  harden  on  being 
dropped  into  cold  water.  A  teaspoonful  of  essence  of 
wintergreen  should  be  added  when  it  is  almost  done. 
/Pull  it  while  warm,  with  buttered  hands,  and  cut  in 
sticks. 


240 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


SUGAR  CANDY 

Six  cups  of  sugar,  one  of  vinegar,  one  of  water,  one 
spoonful  of  butter,  and  one  teaspoonful  of  soda  dis¬ 
solved  in  a  little  hot  water.  Boil  all  together  without 
stirring,  for  half  an  hour.  Flavor  with  lemon  or  va¬ 
nilla.  This  is  very  good  when  “ pulled’ ’  like  the  old- 
fashioned  molasses  candy,  or  it  may  be  cooled  on  a  but¬ 
tered  plate. 

TO  BLANCH  ALMONDS 

Pour  boiling  water  on  them  and  let  them  remain  in 
it  a  few  minutes.  Remove  the  skins,  throw  the  al¬ 
monds  into  cold  water,  drain  them  from  the  water,  but 
do  not  wipe  them. 


EVERTON  TOFFY 

In  a  shallow  vessel,  melt  together  one  pound  of 
brown  sugar  and  one-quarter  of  a  pound  of  butter. 
Stir  well  together  for  fifteen  minutes,  or  until  the  mix¬ 
ture  becomes  brittle  when  dropped  in  water.  Lemon 
or  vanilla  flavoring  should  be  added  before  the  cooking 
is  complete.  Butter  a  fiat  plate,  pour  the  toffy  on  it 
to  cool,  and  when  partly  cold,  mark  it  off  in  squares 
with  a  knife ;  it  can  then  be  easily  broken. 

LEMON  DROPS 

Upon  half  a  pound  of  finely  powdered  sugar  pour 
just  enough  lemon  juice  to  dissolve  it,  and  boil  to  the 
consistency  of  thick  syrup.  Drop  this  in  plates,  and 
put  in  a  warm  place  to  harden.  Or  pour  four  ounces 
of  lemon  juice  on  one  pound  of  loaf  sugar,  with  four 
ounces  of  rose  water.  Boil  to  a  syrup,  add  grated 
lemon  peel  and  proceed  as  in  the  first  recipe.  By  add¬ 
ing  raspberry  syrup,  instead  of  lemon  juice,  you  have 
raspberry  drops. 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


241 


POP-CORN  BALLS 

To  six  quarts  of  pop  corn  boil  one  pint  of  molasses 
about  fifteen  minutes;  then  put  the  corn  into  a  large 
pan,  pour  the  boiled  molasses  over  it,  and  stir  it  brisk¬ 
ly  until  thoroughly  mixed.  Then  with  clean  hands 
make  into  balls  of  the  desired  size. 

COCOANUT  CANDY 

Four  cups  of  water,  two  and  a  half  cups  fine  white 
sugar,  four  spoonfuls  of  vinegar,  and  a  piece  of  butter 
as  large  as  an  egg ;  boil  till  thick,  or  about  three  quar¬ 
ters  of  an  hour.  Just  before  removing,  stir  in  one  cup 
of  desiccated  cocoanut,  and  lay  in  small,  flat  cakes  on 
buttered  plates,  to  cool  and  harden. 

MARSH-MALLOW  PASTE 

Dissolve  one-half  pound  of  gum  arabic  in  one  pint  of 
water;  strain  it,  add  half  a  pound  of  fine  sugar  and 
place  over  the  fire,  stirring  constantly  till  the  sugar  is 
dissolved  and  all  is  the  consistency  of  honey,  then  add 
gradually  the  whites  of  four  eggs,  well  beaten ;  stir  the 
mixture  till  it  becomes  somewhat  thin  and  does  not 
adhere  to  the  finger;  pour  all  into  a  pan  slightly 
dusted  with  powdered  starch,  and  when  cool  divide 
into  small  squares.  Flavor  to  the  taste,  just  before 
pouring  out  to  cool. 

CHOCOLATE  CREAM  DROPS 

Mix  one-half  a  cup  of  cream  with  two  of  white  sugar, 
boil  and  stir  fully  five  minutes ;  set  the  dish  into  an¬ 
other  of  cold  water,  and  stir  until  it  becomes  hard; 
then  make  into  small  balls  about  the  size  of  marbles, 


242 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


and  with  a  fork  roll  each  one  separately  in  the  choco¬ 
late,  which  has  in  the  meantime  been  put  in  a  bowl  over 
the  boiling  teakettle  and  melted.  Put  on  brown  paper 
to  cool.  Flavor  with  vanilla,  if  desired.  This  amount 
makes  about  fifty  drops. 

CHOCOLATE  CARAMELS 

Two  cups  of  sugar,  one  of  molasses,  one  of  milk,  one 
spoonful  of  butter,  one  of  flour,  and  half  a  pound  of 
bakers’  chocolate.  Butter  your  saucepan,  put  in  the 
sugar,  molasses  and  milk,  boil  fifteen  minutes;  add 
butter  and  flour,  stirred  to  a  cream,  and  boil  five  min¬ 
utes  longer;  then  add  the  chocolate  grated,  and  boil 
until  quite  thick.  Butter  tin  flat  pans,  and  pour  in  the 
mixture  half  an  inch  thick,  and  mark  it  in  squares  be¬ 
fore  it  gets  hard. 


CHOCOLATE  CARAMELS 

One  pint  of  new  milk,  quarter  of  a  pound  of  grated 
chocolate,  and  one  cup  and  a  half  of  white  sugar.  Boil 
all  these  together  until  it  will  pull  like  candy;  try  a 
little,  and  if  stiff  enough  to  pull,  pour  it  on  a  buttered 
dish,  and  mark  it  off  in  squares  with  a  knife  as  it  cools. 
It  will  break  easily  when  cold. 

CHOCOLATE  KISSES 

One-half  pound  of  sugar,  one  ounce  of  finely-pow¬ 
dered  chocolate.  Mix  the  sugar  and  chocolate  together, 
and  then  mix  it  with  the  whites  of  four  eggs  well 
beaten.  Drop  on  buttered  paper,  and  bake. 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


243 


BOSTON  CARAMELS 

One  pint  bowl  of  bakers  ’  chocolate  grated,  two  bowls 
of  yellow  sugar,  one  bowl  of  New  Orleans  molasses, 
one  half  a  cup  of  milk,  a  piece  of  butter  the  size  of  a 
small  egg  and  vanilla  flavoring;  boil  about  twenty- 
five  minutes.  It  should  not  be  so  brittle  as  other  can¬ 
dies.  Pour  in  buttered  tins,  and  mark  deeply  with  a 
knife. 


KISSES,  OR  SUGAR  DROPS 

Rub  to  a  cream  half  a  cup  of  butter,  with  one  cup  of 
sugar.  Add  three  well-beaten  eggs,  half  a  pound  of 
sifted  flour,  and  half  a  grated  nutmeg.  Drop  this  mix¬ 
ture  on  buttered  tins,  by  the  spoonful ;  let  them  be  two 
or  three  inches  apart;  sprinkle  sugar  over  them  and 
bake  quickly. 

SUGAR  KISSES 

Beat  the  whites  of  three  eggs  to  a  froth,  then  stir  in 
powdered  white  sugar,  a  little  at  a  time,  till  you  have 
formed  a  very  thick  batter.  Add  two  or  three  drops  of 
essence  of  lemon.  Wet  a  sheet  of  white  paper,  lay  it 
on  a  tin  and  drop  this  mixture  upon  it  in  lumps  about 
the  size  and  shape  of  a  walnut.  Set  them  in  a  cool 
oven,  and  as  soon  as  their  surface  is  hardened,  take 
them  out  and  remove  them  from  the  paper  with' a 
broad-bladed  knife.  Let  the  oven  cool  still  more,  then 
place  these  little  cakes,  laying  the  flat  part  of  two  to¬ 
gether,  on  a  sieve  and  return  them  to  the  oven,  where 
they  must  remain  for  fifteen  minutes  before  they  are 
done. 


244 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


CHEFS  D’OEUVRE 


THE  SERVICE  OF  WINES 

Cosmopolite  Louisiana  is  undoubtedly  the  wine  drink¬ 
ing  section  of  the  Union,  and  a  word  as  to  the  manner 
of  serving  the  wines  which  play  no  small  part  in  the 
discussion  of  “La  Cuisine  Creole,’ ’  will  not  be  out  of 
place. 

The  inherited  French  taste  of  the  greater  portion  of 
the  population,  and  the  education  by  contact  of  the 
American  element,  makes  claret  the  universal  table 
wine.  The  climate,  too,  renders  this  wine  particularly 
palatable,  and  during  the  long  heated  term  it  is  seldom 
absent  from  the  table  of  even  the  most  economical.  At 
the  restaurant  it  is  the  exception  to  see  a  person  dining 
without  a  bottle  of  vin  ordinaire ,  while  for  breakfast, 
during  hot  weather,  white  wines  of  the  lighter  kinds 
are  much  used. 

As  to  the  manner  of  serving  wines  at  dinner  the  fol¬ 
lowing  menu  will  convey  the  most  adequate  idea: 


With 

Soup, 

a 

Fish,  .  .  . 

White  Wine 

u 

i  t 

Entrees,  ] 

Entremets,  j 

| . .  Claret,  vin  Ordinaire 

ti 

a 

Roast  .  .  ] 

Salad, 

n 

Dessert,  .  Fine  Claret  or  Bungundy 

a 

Cafe  Noir,  .  , 

LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


245 


At  large  dinners  in  New  Orleans  a  great  deal  of 
wine  is  served,  and  you  will  be  expected  to  drink  with 
your  raw  oysters,  a  light  white  wine;  with  soup  and 
hors  d ’oeuvre,  sherry  or  Madeira;  with  fish  and  en¬ 
trees,  a  heavy  white  wine ;  with  releves  and  entremets, 
a  good  claret  followed  by  a  Ponche  Romaine,  which  is 
the  turning  point  of  the  feast,  or  rest;  after  which  will 
be  served  with  the  roast,  champagne ;  game  and  salad, 
fine  claret  or  bungundy,  and  with  dessert  cafe  noir  and 
liqueurs. 

The  most  acceptable  distribution  of  wines  at  a  plain 
dinner — which  we  think  should  never  be  over  five,  or 
six  courses  at  most — is  given  below.  It  is  one  which 
has  the  endorsement  of  the  best  authorities : 


With  Oysters, 

“  Soup, 

<  i  all  Heavy  White  Wine  (not  absolutely  nec- 

.L  ion,  .  .  essary) 

4  ‘  Entrees, . Champagne 

“  Salad, 

“  Roast  or  Game, 

with  the  usual  after-dinner  wines  as  preferred. 


.  .  White  Wine 

Sherry  or  Madeira 


Fine  Claret 


GRAND  BRULE  A  LA  BOULANGER 

( From  a  Gourmet.) 

The  crowning  of  a  grand  dinner  is  a  brule.  It  is  the 
piece  de  resistance,  the  grandest  pousse  cafe  of  all. 
After  the  coffee  has  been  served,  the  lights  are  turned 
down  or  extinguished,  brule  is  brought  in  and  placed 
in  the  centre  of  the  table  upon  a  pedestal  surrounded 
by  flowers.  A  match  is  lighted,  and  after  allowing  the 


246 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


sulphur  to  burn  entirely  off  is  applied  to  the  brandy, 
and  as  it  burns  it  sheds  its  weird  light  upon  the  faces 
of  the  company,  making  them  appear  like  ghouls  in 
striking  contrast  to  the  gay  surroundings.  The  still¬ 
ness  that  follows  gives  an  opportunity  for  thoughts 
that  break  out  in  ripples  of  laughter  which  pave  the 
way  for  the  exhilaration  that  ensues. 

Pour  into  a  large  silver  bowl  two  wineglasses  of  best 
French  brandy,  one  half  wineglass  of  kirsh,  the  same 
of  maraschino,  and  a  small  quantity  of  cinnamon  and 
allspice.  Put  in  about  ten  cubes  of  white  sugar ;  do  not 
crush  them,  but  let  them  become  saturated  with  the 
liquor.  Remove  the  lumps  of  sugar,  place  in  a  ladle 
and  cover  with  brandy.  Ignite  it  as  before  directed, 
then  lift  it  with  the  contents  from  the  bowl,  but  do  not 
mix.  After  it  has  burned  about  fifteen  minutes  serve 
in  wine  glasses.  The  above  is  for  five  persons,  and 
should  the  company  be  larger  add  in  proportion.  Green 
tea  and  champagne  are  sometimes  added. 


PETIT  BRULE 

Take  an  ordinary-sized,  thick-skinned  orange;  cut 
through  the  peel  entirely  around  the  orange  like  the 
line  of  the  equator,  then  force  off  the  peel  by  passing 
the  handle  of  a  spoon  between  it  and  the  pulp.  Into 
the  cup  thus  formed  put  two  lumps  of  sugar  and  some 
cinnamon,  and  fill  with  fine  French  brandy  (cognac), 
and  ignite  it  the  same  as  the  above  and  pour  into 
glasses.  The  brule  will  be  found  to  have  a  pleasant 
flavor  given  to  it  by  the  orange. 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


247 


GIN  FIZ - NO.  1 

One-half  tablespoonful  of  sugar,  a  little  lemon  juice, 
two  wineglassfuls  of  seltzwater,  one  wineglassful 
“Tom”,  or  Holland  gin,  teaspoonful  of  white  of  an 
egg,  and  ice ;  shake  well  and  strain  into  fancy  glass. 

GIN  fiz — no.  2 

Use  celestine  vichy  instead  of  seltzerwater,  and  the 
yolk  instead  of  the  white  of  an  egg. 

JAMAICA  RUM  PUNCH 

Make  same  as  whiskey  or  brandy  punch.  Santa 
Cruz,  same. 


PONCHE  RO MAINE 

Two  wineglassfuls  of  water,  one  wineglassful  of 
whiskey,  half  wineglassful  of  Jamaica  rum;  sugar  and 
lemon  to  taste.  Shake,  and  use  plenty  of  ice.  Strain 
and  serve  in  fancy  glass. 

PARLOR  PUNCH  (MORAN's) 

One  tablespoonful  of  white  sugar,  a  little  lemon 
juice,  two  wineglassfuls  of  English  black  tea,  one  wine- 
glassful  of  whiskey,  one-half  wineglassful  of  Jamaica 
rum,  a  little  raspberry  syrup,  plenty  of  small  ice. 
Shake  well,  and  strain  in  fancy  glass. 

ROYAL  COCKTAIL  (MORAN'S  OWN) 

One  lump  sugar;  two  dashes  of  Boker’s  bitters,  or 
Angostura  bitters,  two  tablespoonfuls  of  Belfast  gin¬ 
ger  ale ;  one  wineglassful  of  whiskey,  or  brandy ;  one 
lemon  peel;  plenty  of  ice.  Shake  well,  and  strain  in 
fancy  glass. 


248 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


NEW  ORLEANS  TODDY 

One  lump  of  sugar,  one  tablespoonful  of  water,  one 
wineglassful  of  whiskey  or  brandy,  one  lump  of  ice. 
Use  small  bar  glass. 

VIRGINIA  TODDY 

Two  lumps  of  sugar,  two  sherry  or  wineglassfuls  of 
water,  same  of  whiskey,  plenty  of  ice ;  shake  well  and 
strain  into  small  bar  glass,  with  grated  nutmeg  on  top. 

whiskey,  brandy,  or  gin  cocktails — New  Orleans  Style 

Two  dashes  of  Boker’s,  Angostura  or  Peychaud  bit¬ 
ters — either  will  make  a  fine  cocktail.  One  lump  of 
sugar,  one  piece  of  lemon  peel,  one  tablespoonful  of 
water,  one  wineglassful  of  liquor,  etc.,  with  plenty  of 
ice.  Stir  well  and  strain  into  a  cocktail  glass. 

ANOTHER  WAY — SPOON  COCKTAIL 

One  lump  of  sugar,  two  dashes  Angostura  bitters, 
one  piece  of  lemon  peel,  one  lump  of  ice.  Serve  plain 
in  small  bar  glass  with  spoon. 

whiskey  punch,  plain — Use  Regular  Bar  Glass 

Two  wineglassfuls  of  lemon  or  lime  juice,  half  a  ta¬ 
blespoonful  of  sugar,  one-half  wine  glass  of  whiskey, 
and  plenty  of  ice ;  shake  and  strain  into  punch  glasses. 

FANCY  PUNCH 

Half  a  tablespoonful  of  sugar,  a  little  raspberry,  a 
little  lemon,  lime  and  pineapple  juice.  Two  parts  of 
water  to  one  of  whiskey  or  brandy,  and  plenty  of  ice. 
Shake  and  strain  in  punch  glass ;  put  fruits  in  season 
when  serving ;  use  regular  bar  glass. 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


249 


CHAMPAGNE  COCKTAIL 

One  glass  of  wine,  two  dashes  of  Angostura  bitters, 
and  two  bits  of  lemon  peel.  Put  the  bitters  and  lemon 
peel  in  the  glass  first,  then  pour  in  the  wine,  after 
which  put  in  one  small  spoonful  of  sugar,  and  stir. 

MINT  JULEPS.  MADE  OF  WHISKEY,  BRANDY,  GIN,  ETC.,  ETC. 

One-half  tablespoonful  of  powdered  sugar,  one  wine¬ 
glass  of  water,  one  of  whiskey,  brandy  or  gin,  etc.,  and 
one-half  dozen  sprigs  of  mint.  Use  plenty  of  fine  ice, 
and  decorate  with  strawberries  and  pineapples,  or  any 
fruit  in  season. 

squirts — Use  Large  Glasses 

Whiskey,  brandy,  gin,  white  wine,  claret  or  catawba 
make  good  “squirts.”  Fill  the  glass  half  full  of  fine 
ice,  put  in  one  tablespoonful  of  white  sugar,  a  little 
raspberry  syrup,  strawberries  and  pineapple ;  pour  in 
your  liquor,  and  fill  up  with  seltzer  water.  Stir  all 
rapidly. 

HOW  TO  MIX  ABSINTHE  IN  EVERY  STYLE 

Plain  absinthe;  half  a  sherry  glass  of  absinthe; 
plenty  of  fine  ice,  with  about  two  wineglassfuls  of  wa¬ 
ter.  Put  in  the  water,  drop  by  drop,  on  top  of  ab¬ 
sinthe  and  ice ;  stir  well,  but  slowly.  It  takes  time  to 
make  it  good. 

ABSINTHE  AND  ANISETTE 

To  half  a  wineglass  of  absinthe  put  two  or  three 
dashes  of  anisette.  Mix  same  as  above. 

ABSINTHE  AND  SUGAR 

To  half  a  wineglass  of  absinthe,  put  a  teaspoonful  of 
powdered  sugar  and  mix  same  as  above. 


250 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


SUISSISSE 

To  half  a  wineglass  of  absinthe,  put  half  a  table¬ 
spoon  of  orgeat  syrup,  plenty  of  fine  ice;  add  water, 
mix  well.  Serve  in  liquor  glass. 

POUSSE  CAFE - NO.  1 

Maraschino,  curacoa,  kirsh-wasser  and  brandy  in 
equal  parts  of  each;  dash  with  Peychaud  bitters. 
Serve  in  liquor  glasses. 

POUSSE  CAFE - NO.  2 

Bernardine,  brandy  and  curacoa,  in  equal  parts  of 
each ;  dash  with  Angostura  bitters. 

POUSSE  CAFE — NO.  3 

Brandy,  maraschino  and  cassis,  in  equal  parts ;  dash 
with  Boker’s  bitters. 

POUSSE  CAFE - NO.  4 

La  grande  chartreuse  (yellow),  brandy  (French), 
and  la  grande  chartreuse  (green),  in  equal  parts;  dash 
with  Peychaud  bitters. 

HOT  SPICED  BUM 

Two  lumps  of  sugar,  two  wineglasses  boiling  water, 
one  wineglass  Jamaica  rum,  a  little  butter — about  as 
much  as  you  can  put  on  a  dime;  cloves  and  allspice. 
Serve  in  small  bar  glass. 

SOUPE  LA  BEINE 

Boil  two  chickens  in  water  with  thyme,  sweet-bay 
and  parsley.  When  cooked  (not  to  pieces),  take  them 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


251 


out  of  the  water,  cut  up  the  breasts  in  small  pieces  the 
size  of  dice ;  fry  a  few  pieces  of  onion  without  coloring 
them,  add  a  little  flour  and  the  water  that  the  chickens 
were  boiled  in,  a  little  rice  and  the  balance  of  the 
chickens,  meat  and  bones,  chopped  fine.  Boil  all  to¬ 
gether,  and  when  thoroughly  cooked  strain  through  a 
colander  and  put  back  to  boil,  stirring  constantly. 
When  it  comes  to  a  boil  remove  it  from  the  fire  and 
add  the  beaten  yolks  of  a  few  eggs  and  a  little  cold 
milk,  stirring  continually.  Keep  the  soup  in  “bain- 
marie.”  When  ready  to  serve  put  the  small  pieces  of 
the  breasts  in  a  soup-dish  and  pour  the  soup  over  them. 

RED  SNAPPER  A  LA  CHAMBORD 

Clean  your  fish,  and  be  careful  not  to  damage  it,  and 
replace  the  roe.  Take  off  the  scales,  and  lightly  raise 
the  skin  on  one  side,  and  lard  it  with  bacon  from 
fin  to  tail ;  put  it  in  a  pan,  and  moisten  with  white  wine. 
Add  salt,  pepper,  parsley,  six  laurel  leaves,  some 
thyme,  sliced  onions  and  three  cloves ;  cover  the  head 
with  strips  of  bacon,  and  put  it  into  the  oven,  covering 
your  fish-kettle  with  leaves  of  foolscap  paper,  and  let¬ 
ting  it  simmer  for  an  hour.  When  about  to  serve,  drain 
it  and  put  it  on  a  platter,  garnish  it  all  round  with 
forcemeat  balls,  or  better,  with  pigeons  a  la  Gautier, 
iced  (glaces)  sweetbreads,  small  glaces,  pope’s  eyes  of 
a  shoulder  of  veal,  crabs,  fowl  livers,  truffles,  cock’s 
combs  and  cock’s  kidneys.  Strain  the  sauce  through  a 
silken  sieve,  and  if  not  sufficiently  seasoned,  put  into  a 
pan  two  spoonfuls  of  Spanish  sauce,  and  two  spoonfuls 
of  the  dressing  of  your  snapper ;  let  it  boil  down  one- 
half,  put  your  small  garnishes  into  it,  and  pour  the 
sauce  around  the  fish.  Serve  after  having  jellied  and 
browned  it. 


252 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


CRAYFISH  BISQUE  A  LA  CREOLE 

Wash  the  cray-fishes,  boil  and  drain  them.  Separate 
the  heads  from  the  tails.  Clean  out  some  of  the  heads, 
allowing  two  or  three  heads  to  each  person.  Peel  the 
tails.  Chop  up  a  part  of  them,  add  to  them  some  bread, 
onions,  salt,  black  pepper  and  an  egg  or  two.  With  this 
dressing,  stuff  the  heads  that  you  have  cleaned  out. 
Chop  the  claws  and  the  parts  adhering  to  them.  Fry 
a  little  garlic,  onions,  ham,  one  turnip,  one  carrot,  and 
a  little  flour ;  add  some  water,  the  chopped  claws,  a  few 
tomatoes,  thyme,  sweet  bay,  parsley  and  a  little  rice 
stirring  often  to  avoid  scorching.  When  well  boiled, 
strain  through  a  colander.  After  straining,  put  back 
to  the  fire  and  season  to  taste.  Put  the  stuffed  heads 
into  the  oven  until  brown.  When  ready  to  serve,  put 
them  and  the  tails  in  a  soup  dish  and  pour  the  soup 
over  them.  Before  serving,  add  a  little  butter  and  nut¬ 
meg,  stirring  until  the  butter  is  melted. 


BOUILLE-ABAISSE 


Chop  some  onions  and  garlic  very  fine,  fry  them  in 
olive  oil,  and  when  slightly  colored  add  some  fish  cut 
up  in  slices ;  also  a  few  tomatoes  scalded,  peeled  and 
sliced,  some  salt,  black  and  red  pepper,  thyme,  sweet- 
bay,  parsley,  and  half  a  bottle  of  white  wine,  and 
enough  water  to  cover  the  fish.  Put  it  over  a  brisk  fire 
and  boil  a  quarter  of  an  hour.  Put  slices  of  toasted 
bread  in  a  deep  dish,  place  the  fish  on  a  shallow  dish 
with  some  broth,  and  pour  the  balance  on  the  bread  and 
serve  hot. 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


253 


BROWNED  SNIPE  A  LA  FAUYET 

Dress  fourteen  snipe,  stuff  them  with  a  little 
browned  stuffing,  to  which  add  two  hashed  truffles. 
Bend  the  skin  back  carefully  while  stuffing,  and  then 
replace  it  so  the  birds  will  retain  as  nearly  as  possi¬ 
ble  their  natural  appearance.  Place  the  snipe  so  pre¬ 
pared  and  larded  with  bacon,  into  a  frying  pan ;  and  to 
keep  them  sufficiently  together  in  order  that  the  skins 
may  not  shrink  much  while  cooking,  put  some  strips  of 
bacon  over  them;  moisten  them  with  a  little  soup- 
stock,  cover  them  with  buttered  paper  and  let  them 
cook  in  the  oven  for  forty  minutes ;  then  drain  them, 
lightly  trim  the  lower  side,  and  lay  them  on  a  little 
mound  of  uncooked,  but  slightly  browned  stuffing, 
breast  up,  in  the  bottom  of  a  dish,  and  ice  them 
(glacez).  Keep  the  dish  hot  in  the  oven  for  some  min¬ 
utes.  Remove  the  skin  and  eyes  from  the  heads  of  the 
snipe  after  cooking  them  and  stick  a  small  truffle  in 
teach  bill,  and  lay  between  each  two  birds,  one  of  the 
heads  with  the  truffle  up.  Garnish  the  dish  with  stewed 
cock’s  combs,  scallops,  goose  liver,  and  champignons; 
add  a  little  Madeira  sauce,  boiled  down  and  perme¬ 
ated  with  the  flavor  of  the  game.  Ice  (glacez)  the 
snipe  and  truffles,  and  serve  with  a  separate  sauce.  Let 
everything  be  very  hot. 

SALAD  A  LA  RUSSE 

Cut  up  all  kinds  of  vegetables,  such  as  carrots,  tur¬ 
nips,  snap  beans,  etc.,  boil  them  in  water  with  salt  and 
butter,  then  drain  and  season  lightly  with  salt,  black 
pepper  and  vinegar;  add  a  few  cooked  green  peas, 
mashed  and  well  drained.  Put  all  in  a  salad  dish  in 


17 


254 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


the  form  of  a  pyramid,  and  lightly  cover  it  over  with 
mayonnaise.  If  you  have  the  hearts  of  artichokes  put 
them  around  the  dish,  as  a  wreath,  with  a  little  aspara- 
agus  mixed  in.  Keep  as  cool  as  possible  until  served. 

BISCUIT  GLACE  FOR  TWENTY 

Ten  yolks  of  eggs,  one  and  a  half  pounds  pulverized 
sugar,  half  a  gallon  of  cream,  vanilla  extract,  white  of 
eggs  well  beaten  if  the  cream  is  too  light.  To  be  frozen 
in  a  square  box  and  cut  in  small  pieces.  A  coat  of 
strawberry  sherbet  on  top  of  the  cream,  before  cutting, 
to  give  nice  appearance.  A  tin  box  three  inches  wide 
and  six  inches  long,  which  is  enclosed  in  a  box  three 
inches  larger  all  around.  The  inside  box  has  a  tight- 
fitting  top,  and  is  packed  in  the  outside  box,  which  has 
a  perforated  bottom  to  allow  water  or  melted  ice  to 
escape.  Place  inside  box  within  the  outer,  and  stuff 
with  ice  and  salt  and  let  it  freeze ;  when  frozen,  place 
red  sherbet  on  top  of  biscuit  to  give  pretty  appearance. 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


255 


HINTS  ON  COOKING 


When  salt  hams  or  tongues  are  cooked  they  should 
be  instantly  thrown  into  cold  water,  as  the  change  from 
the  boiling  water  they  were  cooked  in,  to  the  cold 
water,  instantly  loosens  the  skin  from  the  flesh,  and  it 
peels  off  without  trouble. 

Fresh  vinegar  should  be  added  to  chopped  capers, 
because  it  brings  out  their  flavor,  and  makes  the  sauce 
more  appetizing. 

Butter  sauce  should  never  be  boiled,  as  it  becomes 
oily  if  boiled  in  making.  The  whites  and  yolks  of  eggs 
should  be  beaten  separately,  because  the  tissues  of 
both  can  be  better  separated;  and  a  tablespoonful  of 
water  beaten  with  each  is  an  improvement,  and  should 
never  be  omitted. 

Onions,  turnips  and  carrots  should  be  cut  across  the 
fibre,  as  it  makes  them  more  tender  when  cooked. 

Plenty  of  fast-boiling  water  should  be  used  in  cook¬ 
ing  vegetables,  as  the  greater  the  volume  of  water  the 
greater  the  heat.  If  only  a  little  water  is  used  the 
whole  affair  soon  cools,  the  vegetables  become  tough, 
and  no  length  of  time  will  render  them  tender. 

In  boiling  greens,  it  is  best  to  throw  into  them  soda 
with  the  salt,  as  the  soda  extracts  the  oil  in  them 
which  is  injurious  to  the  digestion;  from  one-half  to  a 
whole  teaspoonful  of  soda  for  a  pot  of  greens  is  the 
right  quantity. 

Parsley  should  never  be  boiled  in  soda,  but  in  boiling 
water  and  salt;  boil  from  one  to  two  minutes,  and  then 


256 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


chop  fine.  Use  plenty  of  water  to  boil  parsley,  as  a  lit¬ 
tle  water  toughens  it,  and  turns  it  brown. 

Never  soak  dried  beans  in  cold  water  as  it  extracts 
the  nutritious  portion  of  the  bean.  They  should  be 
washed  first  in  warm  water,  then  in  cold,  tied  in  a  cloth 
and  dropped  into  boiling  water,  with  a  little  salt  in  it 
and  be  kept  boiling  for  four  hours.  Then  they  are  nice 
baked  around  pork,  or  served  with  gravy.  To  make  a 
puree  of  them  you  throw  them  when  boiled,  into  cold 
water,  when  the  skins  will  drop  off  easily,  and  you  can 
mash  them  through  a  sieve  or  colander  and  season 
with  butter,  pepper,  and  salt. 

Open  the  oven  door,  when  baking  meat,  to  let  off  the 
burnt,  scorched  air.  The  oven  should  be  very  hot,  and 
the  meat  well  larded,  or  covered  with  fat,  or  dripping, 
then  well  floured ;  this  keeps  in  the  juices  and  renders 
the  meat  tender. 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


257 


HINTS  ON  HOUSECLEANING 


SOAP  BOILING,  ETC. 

House  cleaning  should  commence  at  the  top  of  the 
house  and  work  downwards.  In  this  case  it  may  be 
undertaken  by  spells,  with  intervening  rests. 

After  the  floors  are  cleaned,  the  walls  and  ceilings 
claim  attention. 

A  very  beautiful  whitening  for  walls  and  ceilings 
may  be  made  by  shaking  the  best  lime  in  hot  water, 
covering  up  to  keep  in  the  steam,  and  straining  the 
milk  of  lime  through  a  fine  sieve ;  add  to  a  pailful  half 
a  pound  of  common  alum,  two  pounds  of  sugar,  three 
pints  of  rice-flour  made  into  a  thin,  well-boiled  paste, 
and  one  pound  of  white  glue  dissolved  slowly  over  the 
fire.  It  should  be  applied  with  a  paint-brush  when 
warm. 

Paint  should  be  cleaned  by  using  only  a  little  water 
at  a  time  and  changing  often;  a  soft  flannel  cloth  or 
sponge  is  better  than  cotton  or  a  brush ;  a  piece  of  pine 
wood  with  a  sharp  point  should  be  used  for  the  cor¬ 
ners.  Where  the  paint  is  stained  with  smoke,  some 
ashes  or  potash  lye  may  be  used.  A  soft  linen  towel 
should  be  used  for  wiping  dry.  Glass  should  not  be 
cleaned  with  soap ;  a  little  paste  of  whiting  and  water 
should  be  rubbed  over,  and  with  another  cloth  it  should 
be  rinsed  off,  and  the  glass  polished  with  a  soft  linen  or 
old  silk  handkerchief.  Alcohol  or  benzine  is  a  good 
thing  to  clean  glass,  and  clean  paper  is  probably  better 


258 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


than  any  cloth,  sponge  or  towel ;  dry  paper  leaves  an 
excellent  polish.  Marble  may  be  cleaned  with  a  mix¬ 
ture  of  two  parts  of  common  soda,  one  part  of  pumice 
stone,  and  one  of  chalk,  finely  powdered  and  tied  up  in 
a  fine  muslin  rag ;  the  marble  is  wetted  with  water,  the 
powder  shaken  over  it,  and  it  is  rubbed  with  a  soft 
cloth  until  clean,  then  washed  in  clean  water  and  dried 
with  a  soft  linen  or  silk  handkerchief.  No  soap  or 
potash  should  be  allowed  on  marble.  A  good  furniture 
polish  is  made  by  melting  two  ounces  of  beeswax,  one 
ounce  of  turpentine,  and  one  dram  of  powdered  rosin 
together,  with  a  gentle  heat,  and  rubbing  on  when  cold, 
with  a  soft  flannel  cloth,  and  polishing  with  a  soft 
linen  or  silk  cloth.  If  for  mahogany,  a  little  Indian 
red  may  be  used.  Cracks  in  furniture  may  be  filled 
with  putty,  mixed  with  Indian-red  or  burnt  umber,  to 
get  the  desired  shade.  When  dry  it  will  take  an  equal 
polish  with  the  wood. 

HARD  SOAP  FOR  HOUSEHOLD  PURPOSES.  AGREEABLE  AND 

CLEAN 

To  seven  pound  of  tallow,  or  other  clean  grease,  use 
three  pounds  of  rosin,  add  six  gallons  of  water  to  this, 
and  stir  in  two  pounds  of  potash;  boil  this  together  for 
five  hours,  then  turn  the  soap,  while  hot,  into  a  wash- 
tub  and  let  it  stay  all  night ;  when  cool  cut  into  bars, 
and  lay  on  a  board  to  harden.  This  quantity  should 
be  sufficient  for  a  family  of  four  persons  for  one  year. 

WASHING  MIXTURE 

An  excellent  and  harmless  washing  mixture  may  be 
made  by  cutting  up  a  large  bar  of  soap  and  dissolving 
it  with  two  ounces  of  borax  in  a  half  gallon  of  water. 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


259 


Boil  the  mixture  till  the  soap  is  soft,  and  put  it  away 
to  be  used  when  required.  There  is  nothing  in  it  to 
take  the  color  out  of  goods,  and  it  saves  labor  and  soap. 

FRUIT  STAINS 

Fruit  stains  may  often  be  removed  from  clothing  by 
plunging  the  latter  into  boiling  water,  letting  it  remain 
immersed  for  a  few  minutes,  and  then  washing  it  out 
in  the  ordinary  way. 

TO  PREVENT  GOODS  FROM  FADING 

Drop  into  a  pail  of  water  a  teaspoonful  of  sugar  of 
lead,  and  let  it  dissolve.  Soak  the  goods  in  this  mix¬ 
ture  for  half  an  hour  before  washing  them  in  the  ordi¬ 
nary  manner.' 

IVIES  FOR  INSIDE  DECORATIONS 

It  is  not  generally  known  that  the  various  evergreen 
ivies  will  grow  and  flourish  to  perfection  in  the  shade, 
and  that,  therefore,  any  room  may  be  most  charmingly 
decorated  with  them.  Such  is  the  fact,  however.  Put 
the  plants  in  large  pots,  filled  with  rich  and  mellow 
garden  soil  kept  at  a  suitable  regulation  of  moisture ; 
and  you  will  have  no  trouble  about  the  matter.  The 
vines  may  be  trained  on  wire  trellises  fastened  to  the 
wall  or  ceiling;  or  upon  any  other  convenient  ar¬ 
rangement.  In  a  treatise  on  this  subject  the  Rural 
New  Yorker  says: 

1  ‘  It  may  also  be  stated  that  the  room  decorated  with 
ivy  should  not  be  kept  too  warm,  but  at  a  moderate 
temperature;  such  as  is  most  healthful  for  a  person 
is  the  best.  No  one  need  to  fear  to  make  the  room  un- 


260 


LA  CUISINE  CREOLE 


healthy  by  introducing  the  ivy  in  abundance ;  for  pknts 
purify  the  air,  and  it  is  only  when  we  introduce  ttose 
emitting  strong  odors  that  anything  but  beneficial  ef¬ 
fects  result.  As  all  ivies  succeed  well  in  the  shade, 
they  are  more  suitable  for  the  purpose  herein  desig¬ 
nated  than  almost  any  other  kind  of  plant. 

“  There  is  also  another  plant  largely  used  for  this 
purpose,  which  is  not  a  true  ivy,  although  known  as 
G-erman  ivy  ( Senecio  scandens).  It  grows  even  more 
rapidly  than  any  of  the  true  ivies  ( Hedera ),  and  we 
have  seen  a  small  plant  grow  so  fast  that  it  encircled 
quite  a  large  room  in  a  few  weeks.  It  thrives  well  ia 
the  shade,  and  the  leaves  resemble  somewhat  the  com¬ 
mon  English  ivy,  but  are  of  a  lighter  and  more  cheer¬ 
ful  green  color.  This  and  a  great  variety  of  ivies  are 
grown  for  sale  by  our  florists.’ ’ 


INDEX 


Introduction 


PAGE 

.  iii 


SOUPS,  BROTHS,  ETC. 

Baked  . 

Beef,  Plain . 

Bisque,  Crayfish . 

Bouilli,  Soup  et . 

Broth  in  Haste  . 

Broth,  Chicken . 

Broth,  Crayfish  . 

Broth,  Scotch  Barley . 

Cheap  White  . 

Chicken  . 

Clear  Pea  . . 

Consomme,  Beef  and  Fowl . 

Consomme  of  Fowl,  White . 

Dried  Split  Pea . 

Egg  Balls  for  Mock  Turtle . 

Green  Pea,  without  Meat . 

Green  Pea,  Queen  Victoria’s  . . . 
Green  Pea,  with  Egg  Dumplings . 

Green  Corn . 

Gomboe,  Chicken  with  Oysters. . . 

Gombos,Crab  or)  Shrimp . 

Gombos,Crab  with  Okra . 

Gombos,  Okra  or  Filee . 

Gombos,  Okra . 

Gombos,  Oyster,  with  Filee,  No.  1 
Gombos,  Oyster,  with  Filee,  No.  2 

Gomboe,  Oyster,  Maigre . 

Gombos,  Shrimp,  Maigre . 

Maigre,  without  Meat . 

Oxtail  . 

Oyster  . 

Rabbit  . 

Stock  for  Soup  . 

Stock  to  Clarify  . 

Stock  for  Gravies . 

Tomato,  with  Vegetables . 

Turtle  No.  1 . 

Turtle  No.  2 . 


10 

5 

22 

5 

6 
6 

7 

8 

11 

7 

13 

8 
9 

13 

17 
10 
12 
12 

13 
20 
19 
21 

18 
19 

19 

20 
21 
21 

7 

17 

14 

18 

3 

4 
4 

11 

14 

15 


PAGE 


Turtle,  Mock  .  15 

Turtle,  Mock  No.  2 .  15 

Turtle,  Mock  No.  3 .  16 

Veal  Gravy  .  8 

Vermicelli  No.  1 .  9 

Vermicelli  No.  2  . 9 

Vermicelli  or  Macaroni .  10 

PISH,  ETC. 

Codfish,  Baked  and  Stewed .  26 

Codfish  au  Beurre  Roux .  27 

Codfish  Cakes  .  27 

Crabs,  Fricassee  of  .  31 

Crabs,  Soft-shell,  Fried  . .  31 

Croakers  and  Mullets,  Fried .....  23 

Fillets  or  Sliced  Fish,  Fried ....  24 

Flounder,  Broiled  . 25 

Flounder  and  Mullet,  Fried .  25 

Fish,  Fricassee  of .  23 

Fish,  to  Fry .  23 

Frogs,  Fried  .  32 

Grenouilles  Frites  .  32 

Mackerel,  Spanish,  Broiled .  25 

Oyster  Pickle .  30 

Oyster  and  Beefsteak  Pie  .  30 

Oyster  and  Sweetbread  Pie  ....  30 

Oysters,  Fried .  29 

Oysters,  Scalloped,  No.  1 .  29 

Oysters,  Scalloped,  No.  2 .  29 

Oysters,  Stewed  with  Champagne.  28 

Oysters,  Stewed  with  Milk .  28 

Oysters,  Stewed  on  Toast .  28 

Oysters,  Stuffing .  27 

Oysters,  on  Toast .  28 

Red  Fish,  or  Snapper,  Boiled ...  25 

Red  Fish,  a  la  Provencals .  26 

Stuff  and  Bake,  to .  23 

Terrapin  .  33 

Trout,  Stuffed  and  Baked .  24 

Trout  a  la  Venitienne .  24 

Turtle,  to  Dress .  31 


261 


262 


INDEX 


COLD  MEAT,  ETC. 

PAGE 


Cold  Meat,  to  serve .  34 

Forcemeat,  Liver  and  Ham .  36 

Forcemeat,  for  Stuffing .  37 

Glazing  for  Tongues,  etc .  34 

Oysters,  Pickled,  to  serve .  34 

Pies,  Meat  or  Chicken,  to  serve. .  34 

Pies,  Meat,  Spices  for .  36 

Sausage  Meat,  Seasoning  for.  ...  35 

Tongue,  Braised,  with  Aspic  Jelly  35 
Truffles  and  Chestnut  Stuffing ...  36 

Truffles  and  Liver  Stuffing .  37 

Yeal,  Pig  or  Turkey,  Seasoning 
for  .  35 


SAUCES  FOR  MEATS  AND  GAME 

A  l’Aurore,  for  Fish .  41 

Apple . 46 

Apple,  Fried  .  47 

Brown  Onion  .  38 

Butter  and  Flour .  40 

Caper,  for  Mutton,  etc .  40 

Celery,  White,  for  Poultry . .  41 

Chestnut,  for  Turkey,  etc .  41 

Cranberry  . 39,  46 

Cream .  46 

Cucumber,  White,  for  Meats .  42 

Duck .  38 

Eggs  and  Butter .  42 

Egg,  with  Lemon .  45 

Froide  . 41 

Hard  .  47 

Horseradish  .  45 

Horseradish,  To  Keep . 45,  48 

Jelly,  Savory,  for  Cold  Turkey, 

etc .  43 

Lemon,  for  Fish  .  40 

Lemon,  Bich,  for  Puddings .  47 

Mint . 38 

Mushroom  .  38 

Onion,  Brown  .  38 

Onion,  White  .  39 

Oyster,  Brown  .  43 

Oyster,  White .  44 

Oyster,  for  Turkey .  44 

Parsley  and  Butter .  40 

Peaches,  Fried  .  47 

Piquante,  for  Cold  Meat . 39,  44 

Puree,  Celery,  for  Turkey .  42 


PAGE 


Bobert  .  45 

Salad,  for  Lettuce .  39 

Savory,  for  Boast  Goose .  47 

Stock,  for  Gravies,  etc . . . ; .  44 

Tomato . 39,  43 

Tomato,  Piquant .  45 

Vinegar,  Cheap  .  49 

Vinegar,  To  Make,  No.  1 .  48 

Vinegar,  To  Make,  No.  2 .  48 

Vinegar,  for  Pickles,  To  Make . .  48 

White  Onion .  39 

Wine,  for  Venison  or  Mutton. ...  42 


ENTREES 


Beans,  Baked,  and  Pork .  58 

Beef,  Hashed  .  52 

Calf  or  Pigs’  Brains,  Fried  ....  56 

Calf  or  Pigs’  Feet,  Fried .  56 

Calf  Head,  Boiled  or  Baked.  ...  56 

Calf  Head,  Collared  .  57 

Calf  Head,  Potted  .  57 

Curry  of  Cold  Boast  Fowl .  57 

Fricadellons,  Veal  or  Mutton. ...  54 

Ham  Toast  for  Lunch . i  58 

Mustard,  French,  To  Make .  53 

Mutton,  Scallops,  with  Mush¬ 
rooms  .  52 

Pie,  Veal  and  Ham . 53,  54 

Barebit,  Welsh .  58 

Salad,  Veal .  55 

Sandwiches  .  52 

Sandwiches,  for  Picnics .  53 

Stew,  Irish  .  50 

Stew,  Kidney  and  Mushrooms ...  50 

Stew,  Lamb  Chops .  50 

Stew,  Pigeon  . 51 

Stew,  Tripe,  Plain  .  51 

Sweetbreads,  Veal  .  55 

Timbale . 54 

Tripe,  with  Mushrooms  .  51 

Tripe,  To  Fry  Brown .  51 

Veal  Hash  .  53 

Veal  and  Ham  Pie . 53,  54 

Veal  Loaf .  55 

Veal,  Minced,  and  Poached  Eggs  56 
Veal  or  Mutton  Fricadellons. ...  54 

Veal  Salad  .  55 

Veal  Sweetbreads  .  55 


INDEX 


263 


PAGE 

MUTTON,  BEEF  AND  HAMS 
Beef,  Brisket,  Boiled  and  Stuffed  61 


Beef,  Round,  Stewed .  61 

Beef,  Round,  a  la  Baronne .  62 

Beef,  Steak,  to  Fry  as  if  Broiled  62 

Beef,  Steak,  Roasted  .  63 

Beef,  To  Roast  in  Stove .  63 

Boiling,  Remarks  on . 59 

Daube  Glacee  of  Beef .  60 

Ham,  Baked .  59 

Ham,  Stuffed .  59 

Ham,  to  Boil .  60 

Mutton,  Haunch  .  64 

Mutton,  Leg  of,  Boiled .  64 

Mutton,  Leg  of,  Roast  .  64 


Mutton,  Stuffed  with  Mushrooms  64 
Mutton,  to  Taste  like  Venison. .  65 

FOWLS  AND  GAME 


Chicken,  Boiled  .  66 

Chicken,  Boiled,  with  Stuffing.  . .  67 

Chicken,  Broiled  .  69 

Chicken,  Cold,  Scalloped  .  69 

Chicken,  Country  Fried  .  66 

Chicken,  Curry  .  69 

Chicken  Fricassee  a  la  Marenga.  68 

Chicken  Pie  a  la  Reine .  69 

Chicken  Pie,  Plain  .  70 

Chicken  Pot  Pie  .  70 

Chicken,  Roast .  68 

Chicken,  Stew  or  Fricassee .  67 

Chicken,  Saute,  with  Oyster 

Sauce  .  68 

Duck,  Canvas  Back  .  76 

Duck,  Roast  . 75,  77 

Duck,  to  Stew  with  Green  Peas. .  76 

Duck,  Tame  and  Wild .  75 

Duck,  Wild  .  77 

Game,  Venison,  etc.,  Remarks 

on  .  78 

Goose,  with  Chestnuts  a  la  Chip- 

olita  .  78 

Goose,  Roast,  with  Sage  and 

Onion  .  77 

Goose,  Wild  .  77 

Hare  or  Rabbit,  Roast .  80 

Partridge .  80 

Pigeon  Pie  .  80 


PAGE 

Pie,  Squirrel  or  Rabbit .  79 

Pie,  Rice  Bird .  80 

Pie,  Roast .  81 

Pie,  Pigeon .  80 

Pig,  Roast  .  81 

Quails  .  80 

Rice-Bird  Pie .  80 

Teal,  Broiled  . 77 

Turkey,  Boiled,  with  Celery 

Sauce .  74 

Turkey,  Boiled,  with  Oyster 

Sauce  . . . .  74 

Turkey,  Boned  .  71 

Turkey,  to  Roast .  72 

Turkey,  Roast  a  la  Perigord. ...  73 

Turkey,  Wild  .  72 

Venison  Steak  .  79 

Venison  Pasty .  79 


VEGETABLES 


Artichokes,  Burr  . . . . . .  89 

Asparagus  on  Toast .  87 

Asparagus  with  Cream .  88 

Beans,  Snap,  Stewed  and  Boiled  89 

Beans,  Lima,  or  Butter . 90 

Beets,  Boiled  .  92 

Cabbage,  Stewed .  91 

Cauliflower,  with  White  Sauce. ...  91 

Corn,  Green,  on  Cob  .  84 

Corn,  Green,  Stewed  .  84 

Corn,  Green,  Fritters .  85 

Corn  Oysters  .  85 

Corn  Pudding .  85 

Egg  Plant  . 88 

Macaroni  in  a  Mould . .  92 

Macaroni  and  Grated  Cheese. ...  93 

Mushrooms,  Stewed,  on  Toast...  88 

Okra  and  Corn  Fricassee .  85 

Okra  or  Gombo,  to  Cook .  86 

Onions,  Boiled  and  Fried .  84 

Parsnip  Fritters  .  92 

Peas,  Green  English,  to  Stew. ...  89 

Peas,  Marrowfat . 90 

Potatoes .  83 

Potatoes,  Croquets  .  83 

Potatoes,  Fried  .  83 

Potatoes,  Irish,  Mashed  and 
Browned  .  82 


264 


INDEX 


PAGE 


Potato,  Irish,  Stewed .  82 

Potato,  Puffs .  82 

Potato,  Sweet .  83 

Pumpkin,  with  Salt  Meat .  91 

Salsify,  Fried  in  Batter .  86 

Spinach,  to  Cook .  87 

Squash,  Stewed .  90 

Squash,  Summer,  Stewed  .  91 

Suecotash  . 85 

Tomatoes,  to  Broil .  87 

Tomatoes,  Stuffed .  86 

Tomatoes,  Stewed .  87 

Turnips,  to  Cook  .  84 


EGGS,  OMELETS,  ETC. 

Eggs  au  Gratin,  for  Lent .  95 

Eggs,  Boiled,  Soft  or  Hard .  94 

Eggs,  Poached,  with  Toast  and 

Anchovy  Paste  .  95 

Eggs,  Poached,  and  Ham .  96 

Eggs,  with  Browned  Butter  and 

Vinegar  .  96 

Omelet,  Delicious  .  99 

Omelet,  for  One  Person .  97 

Omelet,  Spanish .  99 

Omelet,  with  Green  Onion .  97 

Omelet,  with  Oysters  .  100 

Omelet,  with  Parmesan  Cheese. .  97 

Omelet,  with  Sugar  .  98 

Omelet  au  Naturel  .  96 

Omelet,  Soufflee .  98 

Omelet,  Soufflee,  in  mould .  98 


SALADS  AND  RELISHES 

Catsup,  Mushroom  .  101 

Catsup,  Tomato .  102 

Celery,  etc.,  Vinegar .  102 

Garnishes  .  101 

Jambolaya  of  Fowls  and  Bice. .  106 

Salad,  Chicken,  French  .  103 

Salad,  Chicken,  Small  .  104 

Salad,  Potato  .  105 

Salad,  Tomato,  with  or  without 

Shrimp  .  105 

Slaw,  Cold,  with  Hot  Sauce. . . .  106 

Slaw,  Cold,  Plain  .  106 

Thyme,  etc.,  Flavor .  101 

Tomato  Catsup . 102,  103 

Tomato,  Green,  Soy .  102 


PAGE 

PICKLES 


Cabbage,  Chopped  .  112 

Cabbage,  Pickle,  Yellow  .  112 

Cabbage,  Bed  .  113 

Cantaloupe,  Sweet  Pickle  of .  Ill 

Cauliflower  .  113 

Chow-Chow  .  113 

Country  Green .  116 

Cucumbers,  Old-time  Sweet  ....  109 

Cucumbers  and  Onions .  109 

Cucumbers,  Plain,  without 

Spices .  108 

Cucumbers,  in  Whiskey .  108 

Eggs . 110 

Figs,  Sweet  Pickle  of .  110 

Hints  on  Their  Management ....  107 

Lemons  .  114 

Melon  Mangoes  .  119 

Mustard  .  114 

Onions  .  114 

Oysters .  115 

Peach .  117 

Peach  Green .  118 

Peach,  Mangoes .  118 

Peach,  Plain .  116 

Peach  and  Apricot . .0  117 

Plum,  Sweet  Pickle  of .  117 

Tomato,  Green,  Sweet  Pickle  of.  Ill 

Tomato  Sauce  .  116 

Walnut  . 115 

BREAD  AND  YEAST 

Biscuit,  Cream  of  Tartar .  130 

Biscuit,  Light,  or  Boll .  130 

Biscuit  or  Bolls,  Milk .  130 

Biscuit,  Soda  or  Milk .  128 

Biseuit,  Soda,  with  Cream  of 

Tartar  .  128 

Biseuit,  Sponge,  with  Yeast .  129 

Biscuit,  Sponge,  without  Yeast..  130 

Biscuit,  Yeast  Powder .  129 

Boston  Brown  Bread .  127 

Bread,  Good,  to  Make . 124,  125 

Bread,  Family  .  126 

Bread,  Light  .  126 

Bread,  Sponge .  126 

Brown  Bread  .  127 

Buckwheat  Cakes  .  135 

Buckwheat  Cakes,  Griddle .  136 


INDEX 


265 


PAGE 

Corn  Batter  Bread .  128 

Corn,  Mississippi,  Bread .  128 

Dyspeptics,  Bread  for .  127 

Graham  Bread .  127 

Hard- Yeast  Cakes .  121 

Indian  Bread .  127 

Indian  Cakes  .  135 

Indian  Cakes,  Griddle  .  135 

Muffins  and  Crumpets .  133 

Muffins,  Nice  .  133 

Muffins,  Graham  .  133 

Noodles  .  136 

Pain  Perdu .  134 

Pocketbooks  for  Tea .  134 

Potato  Bread .  125 

Puffs,  Flour .  131 

Bice  Cakes  .  132 

Bising  with  Yeast  Cake .  120 

Bolls,  Breakfast  .  131 

Bolls,  Fine  .  132 

Bolls,  Virginia  .  131 

Bye  Bread .  127 

Sally  Lunn .  132 

Turnpike  Cakes .  121 

Wheat  Bread,  with  Potatoes ....  125 

Yeast,  Hard  Fig-leaf .  123 

Yeast,  Home-Made  .  123 

Yeast,  Hop  and  Potato .  122 

Yeast,  Liquid,  of  Corn  and  Hops  121 

Yeast,  Milk  .  123 

Yeast,  Potato  .  122 

Yeast,  Bemarks  on  .  120 

Yeast,  Salt .  123 


RUSKS,  DOUGHNUTS  AND  WAFFLES 


Crullers  .  139 

Doughnuts,  with  Hop  Yeast. ...  137 

Doughnuts,  without  Yeast .  137 

Doughnuts,  Cream  without  Yeast  138 

Doughnuts,  Plain  .  138 

Doughnuts,  Sour  Milk,  without 

Yeast .  137 

Busks,  Miss  Lester’s  Tea .  137 

Waffles  . 138 

CAKES  AND  CONFECTIONS 

Almond  Drops  .  164 

Almond  Macaroons .  165 


PAGE 

Bride’s  Cake .  144 

Charlotte  Busse .  142 

Cheap  Cake .  156 

Chocolate  Cake  . 153,  154 

Citron  Cake  .  155 

Oocoanut  Cakes . 159,  160 

Coffee  Cake .  161 

Corn  Stareh  Cake .  156 

Cream  Cakes  . 162,  163 

Cup  Cakes  .  151 

Delicate  Cakes .  162 

Diamond  Bachelors  .  162 

Drop  Cakes  . 161,  162 

Drops,  Cocoanut  .  160 

Easy  Cake .  164 

Egg  Kisses .  153 

Francatelli’s  Spanish  Cake .  153 

French  Loaf  Cake .  152 

Frosting  for  Cake .  141 

Fruit  Cake  .  142 

Fruit  Cake,  Cheap  .  143 

Fruit  Cake,  Family  .  143 

Fruit  Cake,  Nougat  .  143 

Fruit  Cake,  Wisconsin  .  143 

Genoese  Cake .  153 

Ginger  Nuts .  148 

Ginger  Snaps .  148 

Ginger  Bread,  Sponge .  147 

Gold  Cake  .  158 

Hard  times,  Louisiana,  Cake ....  155 

Icing  .  140 

Icing,  Boiled  .  141 

Icing,  Boiled,  Hot  .  141 

Icing,  Chocolate  .  140 

Indian  Cake .  156 

Isabella  Cake  .  150 

Jelly  Cake  .  145 

Jelly  Boll,  Young  Cook’s  .  164 

Jumbles .  152 

Jumbles,  Bing .  154 

Lady  Cake  .  149 

Lady  Cake,  White .  150 

Lady  Cake,  Yellow .  149 

Ladies’  Fingers  .  155 

Ladies’  Fingers,  German .  154 

Little  Jessie’s  Cake .  151 

Loaf  Cake,  Plain .  153 

Loaf  Cake,  French  .  152 

Maizena  Cake  .  146 


266 


INDEX 


PAGE 

Marble  Cake .  152 

Molasses  Cake  .  157 

Naples  Biscuit .  161 

Pecan  Cake .  160 

Portugal  Cake  .  149 

Pound  Cake  .  145 

Pound  Cake,  Cocoanut  .  159 

Silver  Cake  . 157,  158,  159 

Shrewsbury  Cake .  161 

Soda  Cake  .  156 

Sponge  Cake  .  146 

Sponge  Cake,  Jenny’s .  147 

Sponge  Cake,  White .  147 

Sponge,  Ginger  Bread  .  147 

Tipsy  Cake  .  163 

Tea  Cakes  . 148,  163 

Teacup  Cake  .  151 

Trifles  .  157 

Velvet  Cake  .  162 

Wedding  Cake .  144 

White  Cakes  .  149 

Wine  Cakes  .  161 


DESSERTS 


Almond  Meringue .  168 

Ambrosia  of  Orange,  etc .  185 

Apple  Compote .  168 

Blanc  Mange,  Gelatine .  169 

Blanc  Mange,  Maizena  .  168 

Charlotte  Russe . 166,  167 

Cheesecakes,  Lemon  .  182 

Cheesecakes,  Orange .  182 

Cream,  Barley  or  Sage  .  180 

Cream,  Berry,  Frozen .  180 

Cream,  Biscuit  in  Moulds .  179 

Cream,  Chocolate,  Iced  .  181 

Cream,  Orange .  179 

Cream,  Whipped,  with  Wine....  174 

Custard,  Apple  .  170 

Custard,  Boiled  .  170 

Custard,  Coffee  .  182 

Custard,  Lemon  .  170 

Dessert  for  a  Delicate  Person. . .  175 

Egg-Nog  .  185 

Floating  Island,  without  Wine. .  185 

Glazing  for  Pastry .  171 

Ice  Cream .  178 

Ice  Cream,  without  Cream .  181 


PAGE 

Jelly,  Calves’  Feet  .  184 

Jelly,  Isinglass  .  169 

Jelly,  Wine,  for  Gelatine .  183 

Jelly,  Yellow  Custard .  183 

Mange,  Chocolate .  169 

Oranges,  Croquante  .  173 

Peaches  and  Cream,  Frozen .  180 

Pies  or  Pudding,  Cocoanut .  177 

Pudding,  All-the- Year-Round  ...  171 

Pudding,  Batter  .  174 

Pudding,  Cabinet,  Steamed  ....  176 
Pudding,  Custard  Cocoanut  ....  178 

Pudding,  Delicious  .  177 

Pudding,  Francatelli’s  Lemon...  173 

Pudding,  Gelatine  Snow .  172 

Pudding,  Macaroon,  Iced  .  175 

Pudding,  Meringue .  176 

Pudding,  Prince  Albert’s  .  177 

Pudding,  Roll,  of  Fruit .  175 

Pudding,  Suet  .  175 

Pudding,  Transparent  .  171 

Queen’s  Drops  .  168 

Sherbet,  Lemon  .  179 

Sicilian  Biscuit  .  167 

Tart,  Lemon  . .  174 

Trifle,  Apple  .  172 

Trifle,  Delicious .  172 


PUDDINGS,  PIES  AND  MINCE  MEATS 

Apple  Dumplings,  Baked .  206 

Apple  Meringue  .  203 

Apple  Pot  Pie .  208 

Apple  Tarts,  Marlborough  .  206 

Blackberry  Pie .  194 

Cranberry  Pie  or  Tarts .  192 

Cranberry  Tart,  with  Apples  ....  192 

Cream,  Tapioca  .  207 

Cream,  Tapioca,  Plain .  206 

Directions  for  Making,  etc. .....  186 

Dumpling  Crust  .  188 

Huckle  or  Whortleberry  Pie .  193 

Lemon  Pie . 191,  192 

Mince-meat  .  190 

Mince-meat,  for  Christmas .  190 

Mince  Pie  Meat  .  189 

Mince  Pie  Mixture  . 188,  189 

Mince  Pie  Mock  .  191 

Mince  Pie,  to  fill,  etc .  189 

Mince  Pie,  without  Meat  .  190 


INDEX 


267 


PAGE 

Molasses  Pie  .  193 

Orange  Pie .  191 

Pie-crust  .  187 

Pie-crust,  Buttermilk  .  188 

Pie-crust,  Family,  Short  .  186 

Pork  and  Apple  Pie .  193 

Pudding,  Baked  Suet .  198 

Pudding,  Bird’s  Nest .  201 

Pudding,  Delicious  Bread . 204 

Pudding,  Cheap  and  Delicate. . . .  203 
Pudding,  Cheap  Gingerbread. . . .  205 

Pudding,  Cottage  .  202 

Pudding,  Country  Batter .  202 

Pudding,  Crow’s-Nest .  202 

Pudding,  French  Fried  .  205 

Pudding,  Lempn  .  198 

Pudding,  Marlborough  .  205 

Pudding,  My  Own  . 205 

Pudding,  Parisian .  200 

Pudding,  Plain,  without  eggs  or 

wine  .  197 

Pudding,  Plum,  Boiled  . . . , - 194 

Pudding,  Plum,  Cheap  .  197 

Pudding,  Plum,  Christmas  .  195 

Pudding,  Plum,  Cottage  .  196 

Pudding,  Plum,  Plain,  for  Chil¬ 
dren  .  197 

Pudding,  Plum,  Six-Ounce  .  194 

Pudding,  Plum,  without  Flour. .  196 

Pudding,  Quickly  Made  .  204 

Pudding,  Rice  Meringue . 203 

Pudding,  Soufflee  .  199 

Pudding,  Soufflee,  Omelet . 200 

Pudding,  Sweet  Potato  .  198 

Pudding,  Temperance  Cabinet, 

Iced  .  199 

Pudding,  Very  Rich .  200 

Puff -Paste  . 187 

Rice  Milk,  for  Children. .  207 

Rice  Custard  .  207 

Supper  Dish . 207 


PRESERVES,  SYRUPS  AND  FRUIT  JELLIES 


PAGE 


Fruit,  To  Candy .  220 

Fruit,  To  Green,  for  Preserving, 

etc!  .  210 

Hints  on  Preserving .  209 

Huckleberries,  Preserved .  214 

Jam  .  218 

Jam,  Tomato  .  219 

Jellies,  Apple,  without  Water. . .  218 

Jellies,  Blackberry  .  218 

Jellies,  Crab  Apple  .  217 

Jellies,  Fruit,  To  Make .  216 

Jellies,  Lemon  .  217 

Limes,  Home-made . .  214 

Marmalade  .  220 

Marmalade,  Orange  .  219 

Marmalade,  Orange,  with  Honey.  219 

Orange,  Myrtle,  Preserve . 214 

Peach  Compote  for  Dessert .  213 

Peaches,  To  Preserve . 210,  211 

Pears,  To  Preserve . 212 

Pineapple  Preserves .  212 

Plum  Preserves  .  214 

Preserves,  To  Make .  209 

Pumpkin,  Candied .  220 

Syrup  Orange  . .  221 

Syrup,  Orgeat,  without  Orange 

Flowers  . . . . .  221 

Watermelon  Preserves  .  215 


BRANDIED  FRUITS,  WINES  AND  CORDIALS 


Apricots  in  Brandy  .  222 

Apricots  and  Peach  Wine .  223 

Blackberry  Cordial . 225,  226 

Blackberry  Wine .  225 

Champagne  Punch  . . ...  227 

Fruit,  Mixed,  Wine  .  225 

Orange,  Sour,  Wine .  224 

Orange  and  Lemon  Wine .  224 

Peaches  in  Brandy .  222 

Peaches  and  Apricots  in  Brandy  223 
Raisin  Wine,  with  Elder  Flowers  224 

Raspberry  Cordial  . 226 

Temperance  Beverage  .  227 

Tomato  Wine  .  227 


Apple  Compote  for  Dessert .  213 

Apples,  Crab,  To  Preserve  Green. 213 

Citron,  Preserved  . 211 

Fig  Preserves .  214 


DELICATE  PREPARATIONS  FOR  THE  SICK 
AND  CONVALESCENT 


Almond  Custard  .  234 

Apple  Tea,  or  Water .  229 


268 


INDEX 


PAGE 

Apples,  Baked  .  229 

Arrowroot  Blanc-Mange  ....  229,  230 

Arrowroot  Gruel  .  230 

Barley  Water  .  228 

Beef  Tea  .  229 

Carrigeen  Moss  .  232 

Chocolate  Caramels .  235 

Dimples  .  235 

Jaune  Mange .  232 

Jelly,  Lemon,  without  Lemons..  233 

Jelly  Wine  .  232 

Ladies’  Fingers,  German .  234 

Milk  Punch  as  a  Restorative. . . .  229 

Milk  Porridge  .  230 

Prunes,  Stewed  .  232 

Rusks,  for  Convalescents .  235 

Sangaree,  Wine .  231 

Sherbet,  Orange  .  233 

Sherbet,  Strawberry  .  233 

Sponge  Cake  Pudding .  234 

Syllabub  .  231 

Syllabub,  White  Wine .  231 

Tapioca  Milk  .  230 

Tapioca  Pudding  .  231 

Tartaric  Acid  Instead  of  Lemons  233 

Toast  Water  . 228 

Water  Gruel,  of  Corn  Meal  or  Oat 
Meal  .  228 

COFFEE,  TEA,  CHOCOLATE,  ETC. 

Chocolate,  to  make .  236 

Coffee  .  237 

Coffee  Cream  .  237 

Tea,  Green  and  Black .  236 

CANDIES  AND  CREAM  DROPS 

Almonds,  to  Blanch .  240 

Candy,  Cream  .  238 

Candy,  Cocoanut  .  241 

Candy,  Molasses  .  239 

Candy,  Pop-Corn .  238 

Candy,  Sugar  .  240 

Caramels,  Boston  .  243 

Caramels,  Chocolate  .  242 

Chocolate  Paste  for  Cake . 239 

Drops,  Chocolate  Cream .  241 

Drops,  Lemon .  240 

Drops,  Sugar  .  243 

Everton  Toffy  .  240 

Kisses,  Chocolate  .  242 

Kisses,  Sugar  .  243 


p 

Louisiana  Orange-Flower  Mac¬ 
aroons  . . . 

Marsh-Mallow  Paste . 

Pop-Corn  Balls  . 

CHEFS  D’OEUVEE 

Absinthe,  How  to  Mix . 

Absinthe  and  Anisette  . 

Absinthe  and  Sugar  . 

Biscuit  Glace  for  Twenty . 

Bouille-abaisse  . 

Brule,  Grand,  a  la  Boulanger . . . 

Brule,  Petit  . 

Browned  Snipe  a  la  Fauvet. . . . 

Cocktail,  Champagne  . 

Cocktail,  New  Orleans  style . 

Cocktail,  Royal  (Moran’s  Own)  . 

Cocktail,  Spoon  . 

Crayfish  Bisque  a  la  Creole . 

Gin  Fiz,  No.  1  . 

Gin  Fiz,  No.  2  . 

Juleps,  Mint  . 

Ponche  Romaine  . 

Pousse  Cafe,  No.  1 . 

Pousse  Cafe,  No.  2 . 

Pousse  Cafe,  No.  3 . 

Pousse  Cafe,  No.  4 . 

Punch,  Fancy  . 

Punch,  Jamacia  Rum . 

Punch,  Parlor  (Moran’s)  . 

Punch,  Whiskey,  Plain  . 

Red  Snapper  a  la  Chambord .... 

Rum,  Hot  Spiced . 

Salade  a  la  Russe . 

Soupe  a  la  Reine . 

Squirts . 

Suississe  . 

Toddy,  New  Orleans . 

Toddy,  Virginia  . 

Wines,  The  Service  of . 

Hints  on  Cooking . 

HINTS  ON  HOUSE  CLEANING 

Fading,  To  Prevent . 

Fruit  Stains  . 

Ivies  for  Inside  Decorations .... 

Soap  Boiling,  etc . 

Soap  Hard,  for  Household  Pur¬ 
poses  . 

Washing  Mixture  . 


LIBRARY  USE 

40  Giannini  Hall  -  Tel.  No.  642-4493 

THIS  BOOK  IS  DUE  BEFORE  CLOSING  TIME 

ON  LAST  DATE  STAMPED  BELOW 

SEP  l  3  1974 

JUl  6  "  1978 

JUl  ~ 

IT  -J" 

\  APR  12  1983 

library  use 

NOV  2  1  2001 

LD62— 10m-4,’72  General  Library 

(Q1636sl0)9412 — A-32  University  of  California 

Berkeley 


